The Rafael del Pino Foundation is organising the dialogue “Industrial Innovation, National Defence and Strategic Independence” on 20 November 2025 at 7 p.m., in which the following will participate Lorin Selvy former US Chief of naval Research and Luis Pérez Breva, Director, MIT Innovation Teams.
Luis Perez-Breva is an innovator, entrepreneur and expert in the practice and development of innovation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is also the Rafael del Pino Professor. Professor Perez-Breva has guided more than 170 MIT new technology projects to uncover opportunities to realise MIT's mission of making a positive impact on our society and has trained, guided, mentored and educated more than 200 teams of entrepreneurs and innovators around the world. He currently leads MIT's flagship programme in applied innovation, MIT Innovation Teams: a joint programme and course from MIT's School of Engineering and MIT Business School. He has recently co-led the innovation arm of MIT's partnership with Russia to create a new model university based on training innovators (MIT Skoltech Initiative) and is also collaborating on several such international initiatives in Portugal, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. Dr. Perez-Breva holds degrees in Chemical Engineering, Business, Physics, and Artificial Intelligence obtained in Spain (Institut Quimic de Sarrià), France (Ecole Normale Supérieure), and USA (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
Rear Admiral Lorin Selby is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor's degree in Nuclear Engineering and earned his commission through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps programme. He also holds a master's degree in Nuclear Engineering and a Nuclear Engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His shipboard assignments include the USS Puffer (SSN 652), USS Pogy (SSN 647) and USS Connecticut (SSN 22). From July 2004 to May 2007, he commanded the USS Greeneville (SSN 772) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. During these missions, Selby conducted several deployments to the Western Pacific, North Pacific, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Ashore, Selby's staff assignments include company officer and instructor at the US Naval Academy, deputy director of the Navy's liaison office to the US House of Representatives, and chief of the Submarine Platforms and Strategic Programmes Branch in the Naval Staff's Undersea Warfare Directorate. After being selected as an acquisition professional, he served as programme manager for both the Undersea Imaging and Electronic Systems Programme Office (PMS 435) and the Advanced Undersea Systems Programme Office (PMS 394). As a senior officer, Selby served as commander of the Naval Surface Warfare Centres (NSWC) from October 2014 to August 2016. In this role, he led more than 17,000 civilian and active duty scientists, engineers, technicians and support personnel in eight NSWC divisions across the country. From June 2016 to May 2020, he served as the Navy's chief engineer and deputy commander of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) for ship design, integration and naval engineering (SEA 05), where he directed the engineering and scientific expertise, knowledge and technical authority required to design, build, maintain, repair, modernise, certify and dispose of the Navy's ships, aircraft carriers, submarines and associated combat systems and weaponry. In May 2020, he assumed command of the Office of Naval Research as the 26th chief of Naval Research. Selby is authorized to wear the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (three decorations), Meritorious Service Medal (four decorations), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (six decorations) and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (three decorations), in addition to various unit decorations.