Manuel F. M. Costa hold a PhD degree in Science (Physics) from the University of Minho (Portugal) were he works since 1985 at its Physics Department teaching and performing applied research in optical dimensional metrology, image processing, optometry, thin films and nanosciences, and on physics science and technology education and scientific literacy. Presented over three hundred communications in international meetings and published around the same number of scientific papers, monographs and books. Editor or member of the editorial board of several scientific and educational international journals. Organised and acted as chairperson of twenty one international conferences and at over forty international summer schools and workshops as well as European teacher training courses. Supervised nearly thirty master and PhD students. Oganised and delivered countless outreach activities in different countries. Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Optical Society, member of the Board of the Iberoamerican Optics Network, RIAO/SOPHIA, and member of the Board of Stakeholders of PHOTONICS’21. President of the Hands-on Science Network, of the Portuguese Territorial Committee of the International Commission for Optics and of the Portuguese Society for Optics and Photonics, SPOF. Senior member of the International Society for Optics and Photonics, SPIE, and Fellow of European Optical Society.