Hi Alejandro! Where are you from?
My parents are from the north of Spain but my younger brother and I were raised in Madrid. I'm a city person so I loved growing up there — there's lots of culture and museums to visit.
Did you have any career aspirations as a child?
I'm a really practical person and I've always been obsessed with technology, cars and anything that moves. But I'm also a people person. Even as a child, I knew I wanted a job where I could interact with people, rather than just be stuck behind a computer.
You spent some time in the US before university — how did that come about?
When I was 16, my family encouraged me to take a public speaking course in the US. I spent a month and a half at Georgetown University in Washington DC that summer, and enjoyed it so much I returned the following two years (visiting UCLA and a university in New York). I really enjoyed debating, meeting new people, and exploring a new country.
Then back to Spain to start university?
Yes, I studied industrial engineering at Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid — ranked among the best universities in the world for engineering. They were very good at emphasising the importance of developing soft skills alongside technical abilities. I did a year in industry at a defence company developing military vehicles, and spent most of my final year working on a project to restore and digitise a classic motorcycle. Tinkering with motorbikes has always been a passion of mine.
What did you do with your degree?
I wanted to get some professional experience before a Master's. I got a job with Evlox, a Spanish denim manufacturer, working as an R&D engineer between Madrid and Morocco. I worked across new material development, investigated new dying techniques, and learned a lot about product development, market trends, and working directly with customers.
What brought you to the UK?
I came to study for my Master's in product design at the Royal College of Art. I wanted to move beyond the engineer's purely technical view to take the customer's experience into account. It even inspired me to develop my own startup — the idea was to develop a gearbox for electric motorbikes that didn't have gears but could simulate the sensation of driving. Despite the push to adopt EVs, a large chunk of motorbike riders won't switch because they feel they'd lose the driving experience. We found 70% of riders would switch to an EV if we could implement this technology. Unfortunately we weren't the only people chasing this idea — but we did electrify a 1950s motorcycle while keeping all of its original aesthetic charm.
How did you hear about TG0?
I had been accepted onto the Innovation RCA incubator programme, and Ming was one of the advisors who helped me develop a business plan and conduct automotive market research. Once the project finished, I gave him a call. I love what he's achieved at TG0, and he gave me the opportunity to join as a mechanical engineer.
How's it been going?
It's a really interesting company and a fun place to be. We're working with a lot of different materials and technologies — it's impossible to be bored.
