Donald Trump has appointed Spanish scientist Darío Gil as Undersecretary of Science and Innovation at the Department of Energy.
Gil, who was born in the Spanish village of El Palmar and raised in Madrid, will head a key agency in the US’s science and technology policies.
“Darío is a brilliant scientist and businessman, with a distinguished track record as chairman of the National Science Board and senior vice president and director of IBM Research,” said Trump’s transition team on its X account.
Gil moved to the United States, where he finished high school in California, and earned a degree in electrical and computer engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. Hen then specialised in nanotechnology at MIT, where he obtained his PhD.
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Darío Gil will be the next Under Secretary for Science and Innovation at the United States Department of Energy.
Darío is a brilliant businessman and scientist, with a distinguished record as the Chairman of the National Science Board, and…— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 16, 2025
The US Department of Energy oversees the nation’s energy security and sustainability. It leads several major technological innovation initiatives, including developing quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy research.
This appointment, of a Spanish citizen to a senior energy policy role, underscores the Trump administration’s commitment to strengthening US leadership in these sectors at a time of geopolitical tension with Russia and China.
Gil’s career so far has been marked by a combination of scientific expertise and public leadership.
During Trump’s first term, he was a member of the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and served on the governing board of the US National Science Foundation (NSF), which manages an annual budget of nearly $10 billion.
Gil has also played a strategic role as an advisor to the US Congress, working with the House of Representatives and Senate on critical policy areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing.
Gil was not the only Spaniard making waves in the United States.
Other compatriots reaching prominent positions in private companies have included Ramón Laguarta, PepsiCo’s chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, Paco Ybarra, managing director of Institutional Clients Group at Citigroup, Joaquín Duato, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, and Enrique Lores, president and CEO of HP.
COMMENT: Trump’s incoming administration, led by energy expert Chris Wright, aims to expand U.S. energy production, potentially driving down global prices and pressuring Russia into peace talks with Ukraine, writes @Raphfel. https://t.co/dNj7XDbXIy
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) December 5, 2024
