Dias Toledo, Romildo

UFRJ Science Park, Brazil

Romildo Dias Toledo Filho is a Full Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and Director of the UFRJ Science Park. He holds a master’s degree (1986) and a PhD (1997) in Civil Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), with postdoctoral studies at the Technical University of Dresden (Germany). He is a full member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC), the National Academy of Engineering (ANE), and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).

At COPPE/UFRJ — one of Latin America’s leading engineering research centers – he held several leadership positions, including General Director (2019–2023), Vice Director (2015–2019), and Director for Technology and Innovation (2013–2015). He currently serves as Vice President for Latin
America of RILEM (2024–2026), Director of International Relations at Anprotec, and as a member of the Governing Board of CNPq, Brazil’s national research council.

Romildo is recognized as one of the foremost researchers in sustainable construction materials, with pioneering contributions to low-carbon concrete, CO₂-capturing cements, and natural fiber composites. He coordinates the UFRJ Sustainable Materials Laboratory (NUMATS), with research aligned to global agendas on decarbonization, circular economy, and climate resilience.

He has published over 320 indexed scientific papers, advised more than 150 graduate theses, and has an h-index of 75 (Google Scholar). He has received several awards, including the Luiz Alfredo Falcão Bauer Award and the CAPES-VALE Sustainability Thesis Prize.

According to a global study led by Stanford University, he is among the top 2% most influential scientists in the world across all disciplines.

Born in Taperoá, in the state of Paraíba, and educated in public schools in Brazil’s Northeast, Prof. Toledo Filho represents a rare combination of regional roots and global scientific impact, with a leadership style committed to advancing inclusive innovation in Brazil and beyond.