Interview with Pablo Castelló, Old Caxtonian, about his PhD programme

After completing my degree in aerospace engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), I felt the need to seek new horizons and tackle fresh challenges. What destination could fit better than Toulouse? The European hub of the aerospace sector. During my two years of master’s studies in aerospace engineering at ISAE Supaero, specialising in structures, I forged personal and professional connections that exceeded all my expectations. On a personal level, I found invaluable friendships and life lessons. Professionally, the university’s reputation and its close ties with the aerospace industry provided me with the opportunity to hone my technical skills to meet the standards demanded by sector companies.

Upon finishing my master’s degree and obtaining the title of senior engineer, I decided to return to Valencia to work as a researcher at the Institute of Design and Manufacturing at UPV. Currently, I live in Paris, where I am pursuing my doctoral thesis as part of an industrial engineering doctoral programme, jointly supervised by UPV and the École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM). My research focuses on developing a digital twin to optimise deposition trajectories in large-scale 3D printing, integrating machine learning techniques and finite element analysis. During this first year of work, in addition to advancing technically, I have had the opportunity to publish several scientific articles and to travel to various countries to participate in conferences where we present our progress.

I have been able to make the most of all of these experiences partly thanks to the education received at Caxton College for 15 years. There, I learned, among other things, to effectively navigate multicultural work environments and to achieve goals under pressure. Additionally, I acquired high-level communication skills, crucial for presenting and developing technical topics in public. In summary, these past years, filled with tough decisions, have been an endless source of gratifying experiences that would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family and the solid academic foundation established in school.