Manuel F. M. Costa holds a PhD degree in Physics from the University of Minho (Portugal), where he has worked since 1985 in its Physics Department, teaching and performing applied research in optical metrology, image processing, thin film nanostructures and applications, solar energy, advanced materials for sustainability, optometric instrumentation, and science and S&T education and literacy. He has presented over four hundred communications in international meetings and published around the same number of scientific papers, monographs and books. He is an Editor or Editorial Board Member of several scientific and educational international journals, Chairperson of thirty-two international conferences, Vice-President of the International Commission for Optics, and Chair of the latter's Education Committee for the term 2024–2027. He was President of the Ibero-American Optics Network for the term 2019–2022; President of the Hands-on Science Network, HSCI; President of the Portuguese Society for Optics and Photonics, SPOF; President of the Portuguese Territorial Committee of the International Commission for Optics, ICO, for three terms between 2011 and 2020; Executive Committee Member and Europe Regional Representative of the International Council of Associations for Science Education, ICASE; Member of the Board of Directors; and Deputy Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Optical Society, EOS. He has been a Fellow of the European Optical Society since 2013.