Paulo J.S. Cruz is Full Professor of Construction and Technology at the School of Architecture of the University of Minho. He is President of IDEGUI - Design Institute of Guimarães and Director of Lab2PT - Landscape, Heritage and Territory Laboratory as well as Head of studies on Product Design. He was President of the School of Architecture of the University of Minho (2004-2011) and Head of the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Minho (2003 & 2004).

He graduated in Civil Engineering (1987) and received an MSc in Structural Engineering from the University of Porto, Portugal (1991) and obtained his PhD in Civil Engineering from the Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain (1995). Since 1987 he has conducted research in the domain of special structures. After his PhD he started in the field of "Steel and Composite Structures", progressively devoting his research interests to the area of bridges, particularly concerning safety, inspection, assessment and monitoring.

Since his involvement with the School of Architecture, he has bridged the gap between architecture and structural engineering, promoting the efficient use of the traditional materials and their judicious combination; exploring innovative technological, constructional and structural solutions and establishing effective collaborations with the construction industry.