José Tomás Domínguez

Credit: MIT Sandbox Program. Location: The Engine

Mechanical engineer and designer. My research studies the development of industrial processes that expand the applications of biopolymers and advanced manufacturing material systems. Pushing the world toward a circular economy.

This process started in 2017. I was working as part of the R&D team of one of the first generation of Chilean robotic startups, Inti Tech. We were developing a solar autonomous robot that cleaned solar panels. I was passionate about changing the world through my work, contributing to the clean energy revolution. During my on-site expedition to Pampa Camarones, a solar farm from Engie, I reflected on the pollution generated in the solar panel’s supply chain. It simply didn’t make sense to me that these new technologies had such a negative impact on the environment. This led me to understand that my role in this changing world wasn’t in the energy industry but in the development of sustainable materials that changed the building blocks of our society.

That made me resign from that job. In 2019 I took a scholarship from the Chilean government to travel to Boston and research solutions for this problem. While working at Dassault Systems 3D experience Lab I developed an additive manufacturing system for fiber-based copolymers. This inspired me to build advanced manufacturing systems for low-carbon material systems. Building upon that premise, I started The New Materials, together with MIT Ph.D. Paloma Gonzalez. Three years from that, we developed a new cellulose biopolymer, a lamination manufacturing process for large-scale and low-cost production, and a workflow for natural fiber additive manufacturing. This work has led me to collaborate with the industry biggest companies/ organizations (e.g. Arauco, CMPC, HP, Formlabs, IMFA, among others).

You can download my resume here

Publications

Dominguez, J., and Gonzalez, P., “Micro-Architected Lattice-Based Mesh for Fiber Filters: A Novel Additive Manufacturing Architecture for Molded Fiber Tooling,” American Society of Mechanical Engineer, Manufacturing Science & Engineering Conference 2022. Accepted and forthcoming. Long Abstract.

Awards

  • 2021, Top 3 makers selected by Dassault Systemes for their 3DEXPERIENCE World 2021
  • 2020, Fondo de Desarrollo Institucional, Project Grantt - Ministery of Education, Chile
  • 2019, Fab Academy Scholarship - Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, CORFO Ingeniería 2030 (chilean goverment)
  • 2018, Innovation technological contract with Inti Tech and Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Project Grantt - CORFO, Chile
  • 2018, CUOA University Scholarship - Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, CORFO Ingeniería 2030 (chilean goverment)
  • 2017, Chile Most Innovative Startups 2017 - Khapto.
  • 2015, SAFF 1 Code: 14SSAF-26959-21, Project Grantt with Khapto - CORFO, Chile
  • 2015, International Business Model Competition semi final with Khapto - Brigham Young University, Standford University and Harvard University
  • 2014, Fondo de Desarrollo Institucional, Project Grantt, Ministery of Education, Chile
  • 2014, Jump Chile National Startup competition first place with Khapto - Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

My work in Media