Here today and gone tomorrow

The first “significant trip” José made was when he was about 3 years old. A journey from Porto to Lisbon opened to a small boy a new world of travelling. Since then, 52 years have passed, and now “kiddy Zé” is known as a successful international businessman José Santos.
His CV consists of more than 10 pages, he speaks 5 languages, knows already 67 countries, and it seems that this man is not going to stop: “Till the end of the year I hope to visit 4 more countries”, says he, enthusiastically.
Mr.Santos is unwilling to talk about his private life but proudly shows his big old house in a very quiet and picturesque part of Sintra: “This is my refuge.”

José Francisco (his second name) was born 2 October 1953 in Porto. There, he spent his early childhood. But when he was three his mother sent him to Lisbon, where he was brought up by his aunt and uncle: “They were my real parents. In fact, they were not rich but educated me in the best college and gave me money for my first trips abroad – Spain, France, Italy. At that time I was 16 and travelled with my school. A bit later I started to be very interested in cars. That is why I took a decision to be an engineer, and after college I enrolled in mechanical engineering at IST (Institute Superior Technical).”


At the age of 26, he moved to Paris, where he got a masters degree. It was a time of big change – life in a student´s hostel, new people, a new language and a colour TV set (in 1979, in Portugal everybody had just black and white). Anyway, there was no time for watching TV programs, hanging out with friends and enjoying life. “ I took part in some national projects, started my career in ISQ (Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade) and worked daily”, he remembers. But it yielded result. The same year his first publication, “Analysis of Basic Parameters of Explosion Welding”, saw the light.

In 1982, José published his first book, “Automatization and Robotization in Welding” and in 1983, he went to Cranfield, where he spent the next 3 years. “Great Britain struck me with hundreds of people from all over the world – China, the United States, Europe.” December 1986, he got a PhD and came back to Portugal. Since then, he has never left his motherland for long. “I can´t live far away from here. Ocean, mountains, forest and this soft climate make me breathe.”



He had a rich and successful working life during a long period, and travelling was a part of it. “When you have an internetional business, it is impossible to stay in one place for long. You are not able to give enough of your attention to family, children, hobbies. But I am lucky to have work that permits me do what I like the most – travel. At the moment, I am impressed more with Kenya and Cambodia. Africa amazed me with magnificent, fabulous colors and incredible fauna. By the way, there I made my first hot air balloon trip. Fantastic! And in Cambodia you can see a generous amount of antiques. It strikes.”

For more tnan 30 years of a professional life, this man has achieved a lot. He wrote 4 books, has more than 25 publications in National Conferences, became a member of administration of ISQ, is president of some others companies, a national delegate of ESA (European Space Agency), ARIANE, EWF (European Welding Federation) e t.c. In 2004, he was awarded the title of “Honorary Professor” in Romania. Many people can just dream of what he has. But now, with experience, he says: “ The best and the most important in our life is our family. I have a fantastic grown-up daughter but, unfortunately, she is the only close relative I have. Anyway, one day I hope to get a real family.”
But, for the present, José goes on exploring and discovering new places, countries and continents. “Here today and gone tomorrow.”