Juan Cantero (Granada, 1980) is a civil engineer. He is currently in charge of Construction at IFMIF-DONES. He has extensive professional experience in different countries.

– QUESTION (Q): You belong to a generation of engineers compelled to internationalize their professional trajectory. With the benefit of hindsight, how do you evaluate that experience?

– ANSWER (A): The evaluation is positive, although I never viewed that phase of internationalization as an “obligation” but rather as a very organic evolution of everything happening in the post-2008 period. Back then, I began to see that it made little sense for a world rapidly moving toward a global market for goods and services not to also result in a global market for highly qualified professionals. Along those lines, and as I mentioned, in a very organic and natural way, I decided to take advantage of the international expansion of the company I was working for at the time to broaden my professional experience and gain expertise in managing large international infrastructure projects. That training and experience are what brought me back to Granada with my family, offering the chance to participate in this exciting IFMIF-DONES project.

– Q: Nevertheless, personal life balance has also influenced your career decisions.

– A: In my opinion, we are an inseparable “professional-person” unit, and the only thing that changes is the personal moment. Sometimes the professional side takes precedence over the personal side, and vice versa. We move and grow within this dynamic balance, making decisions as we navigate these waters. If professional growth is not balanced with personal growth, problems eventually arise. We make decisions, and every professional decision has a personal component, and vice versa.

– Q: You’ve said that with IFMIF-DONES, “the stars aligned”. Why?

– A: As I mentioned earlier, it’s rare to face a decision where the personal and professional aspects align so clearly and favorably. It requires an extraordinary alignment of the stars for such a specific moment in my life and my family’s life to coincide with the opportunity to participate in an international high-tech project—innovative, paradigm-shifting in the world of energy, and a future global scientific reference. And on top of that, all of it is happening in Granada, with the chance to have a positive impact on my homeland.

– Q: The first building of the scientific complex has already been completed. Currently, three more are under construction, to be finished next year. But there will be more after that. How many buildings will make up the complex, and which one will demand the most attention from you?

– A: There are over a dozen buildings and zones we call “auxiliary” that will support the main building, which will be the largest and most iconic, housing the accelerator and all the surrounding systems. In my opinion, these auxiliary buildings are not as secondary as they might seem because these kinds of facilities work in an organic, interconnected, and indivisible way where each building has a specific functional purpose. Any error could compromise the operation of “the machine.” With the operational requirements that the accelerator will have during its functioning phase, it doesn’t make much sense to consider any part less important than another. That said, during the construction phase, the main building presents the most technical challenges, especially the structure that will house the test cell and the other specific accelerator systems.

– Q: Some buildings will include complex technological prototypes. Do challenges that unique appeal to you?

– A: Absolutely. Typically, any construction or infrastructure project is as complex as the activity it is designed to house or the function it must fulfill. The activity to be carried out at IFMIF-DONES is of extreme complexity, both technologically and in terms of operational and capacity requirements. Not only must everything work perfectly, but it must also be capable of operating practically 24 hours a day for 20 years. The critical procedures and operations we are now integrating into the design and will soon transition to the construction phase represent a very high level of multidisciplinary management and coordination challenges.

– Q: How would you describe working with scientists and technologists?

– A: It’s a dream and a privilege. Working with such a diverse, multidisciplinary, and brilliant team in highly specialized fields is truly motivating. It’s also a perfect opportunity to contribute some of my construction experience at a stage in the project where collaboration among such varied professionals will result in more effective solutions and a comprehensive, integrated design. Furthermore, the team on a personal level is exceptional, and the work environment is outstanding.