Martin Castillo

I am a material scientists and have developed energy-efficient materials for the past 20 years. I have also had my own pre-seed start-up for the past two years, which is a spin-off from the University of Bremen and took part in the first business accelerator sponsored from Sparkasse Bremen.

2021-Current  Alva (in Gründung) Start-Up – Electroluminescent Materials Manufacturer

CEO, Founder

Dr. Martin Castillo started the start-up company Alva, which was based upon his last patent from the University of Bremen and ZARM and entails the production of electroluminescent materials in microgravity. The patent is current still be patented by the InnoWI department of the University of Bremen. It is expected that this patent will be completed by the beginning of 2025. Dr. Castillo and his team were selected to participate in the first ever Sparkasse Business Accelerator test program from February to March of 2022. Martin and his team are working toward seeking their first investor and remain working in the coworking area of the Sparkasse Business Accelerator.

2016-2021       The Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity / Zentrum für angewandte Raumfahrttechnologie und Mikrogravitation (ZARM), Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany.

Head of Material Science, diZplay and 2diZplays Project Leader

Dr. Martin Castillo joined ZARM upon his acceptance in 2016 for his proposal to the German Aerospace Center / Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) concerning the advanced synthesis of electroluminescent materials in variable gravity. This is the first material science project from staff at ZARM and was the onset for the formation of a new material science group within ZARM. The creation of this drop experiment has led to the creation of a new material synthesis/manufacturing patent. This research is intended to be commercialized after 2021.

2009-2015       The Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia

Lecturer, Technical Manager, Phenomena in Microgravity Laboratory

Dr. Martin Castillo joined QUT and entered the role as an academic. Dr. Castillo’s teaching involvement included coursework in thermodynamics throughout 7 courses at QUT, strengths of materials, and several power engineering courses to over 1,850 students.  This includes the development of coursework, laboratory classes, and assessments in conjunction with managing many teaching assistants. Dr. Castillo traveled to the Callide Energy Power Plant, Queensland, Australia to teach one of the power engineering courses.

Dr. Castillo was integrally involved in the Phenomena in Microgravity Laboratory group at QUT. Dr. Castillo assisted industry, international collaborators, and students design, construct, and perform microgravity experiments. Dr. Castillo was is part of the scientific teams that perform the research in the areas of combustion of materials, synthesis of materials, fluid experiments, and synthesis of nanofluids. Dr. Castillo’s research of ZBLAN glass at the QUT Drop Tower was been funded by the United States Air Force (USAF).

2006-2009       National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Tsukuba, Japan

Contract Researcher 

Dr. Castillo researched the energy and thermodynamics involved with the mixing and combustion phenomena of liquid hydrogen and liquid methane for the new “GX-series” of rocket engines developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). This was performed to find new compatible gas mixtures with optimum energy outputs that could be implemented into the new engines designed with an advanced composite material.

Dr. Castillo researched the storage and safety of high pressure releases of hydrogen gas through various nozzle types with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).  The motivation for this research is due to future storage facilities for alternative energy are perceived to have high pressure hydrogen storage tanks. The safety of high pressure releases of hydrogen were examined via computer simulations.

Dr. Castillo researched the safety standard for the combustion of hydrogen and air in variable gravity conditions (i.e. ground and drop-tower experiments) via. hot-wire technique.  Conjunctively, thermodynamically driven convective forces were computer simulated on the combustion of these gases in variable gravity. The development of such safety standards are paralleled by the onset of alternative energy (e.g. Hydrogen) and how future automobile, aircraft and spacecraft will experience combustion at different gravitational levels and different delay periods.

2004 – 2006    National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)             Tsukuba, Japan

Post Doctorate Fellow

Synthesize and characterize ZBLAN glasses produced in containerless environments; 1) porous gas levitator and 2) 10m (1.4 sec) drop tower (10-3g).  Developed heretics of gas levitation system process through porous mediums.  Implementation of drop tower to produce containerless processed samples in a microgravity environment.  Long term objectives include fiber synthesis investigations to produce long range signal loss glasses.  Careful thermodynamic considerations of processing techniques including microgravity were implemented to suppress the undesired crystallization of such materials.

PhD Material Science, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA