Full Professor in the disciplinary grouping ING-IND/22 "Materials Science and Technology" since December 2003 at the University of Udine.

He graduated in Chemical Engineering from the University of Padua in 1981 and began his career as a researcher at the Institute for Scientific and Technological Research (now FBK) from 1983 to 1988.

Since 1988 he has been a researcher at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Trento and then an Associate Professor at the University of Rome 'La Sapienza' from 1998 to 2003.

In September 2008, he was awarded an Honorary Degree in 'Applied Sciences' by the Polytechnic University of Mons (Belgium).

In September 2016 he received the EFC Medal Award at the EUROCORR 2016 Conference in Montpellier (France) from the European Federation of Corrosion (EFC).

Director of the Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Udine from 2009 to 2010. Director of the Department of Physical Chemistry and Environment from 2011 to 2013.

Deputy Director of the Department of Engineering and Architecture from 2016 to 2021.

Member of the Board of Directors of the University of Udine from October 2016 to October 2020.

Coordinator of the Evaluation Board of the University of Udine from October 2021.

Didactics

Holder of the course "Science and Technology of Composite Materials", the course "Corrosion" and the course "Materials for Environment and Energy" at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Udine. Subsequently, he also held the courses "Materials Science" and "Materials Science and Technology" for three-year degree courses at the Polytechnic Department of Engineering and Architecture and the course "Materials for Biomedical Applications" at the DI4A Department. He has also taught the course 'Corrosion and Protection of Materials' at the University of Rome 'La Sapienza' and the courses 'Corrosion and Protection of Materials' and 'Materials Science and Technology' at the University of Trento.

Director of the Master in Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Udine from the academic year 2006/07 to date.

In the academic years 1989/90 and 1997/98, invited as Visiting Professor by the Université AIX-MARSEILLE I.

Research

Chairman of the "Working Party Coatings" of the European Federation of Corrosion (EFC) from 2001 to 2012 and since the same year has been a member of the "Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee" (STAC) of the same Federation.

Vice President of the European Corrosion Federation (EFC) since 2012 and President of the EFC in 2013 and 2014. Past President of the EFC from 2015 to 2016.

Member of the Editorial Board of the following International and National Journals:

Member of the Editorial Board of the International journal Progress in Organic Coatings since April 2002.
Member of the Editorial Board of the International journal Corrosion Engineering Science and Technology since April 2003.
Member of the Editorial Board of the international journal Materials and Corrosion since August 2009.
Member of the Editorial Board of the International journal The Open Corrosion Journal since 2009.
Member of the Editorial Board of the international journal Corrosion Protection - Ochrona przed Korozja since January 2012.
Member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Applied Biomaterials & Functional Materials (JABFM) since February 2016.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the journal "Trattamenti e Finiture" published by Tecniche Nuove since 01.02.2001.
Member of the scientific committee of the journal "APCE Notizie" since April 2011.

Scientific Director since 2006 of the Laboratory of "Metallurgy and technology of surfaces and advanced materials" of Friuli Innovazione.

Director in 1999 and 2000 of the Consorzio Innovazione d'Impresa, a consortium company for the technological innovation of companies operating in the Autonomous Province of Trento.

From 2008 to 2020 member of the Board of Directors of the National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (INSTM) as representative of the University of Udine.

Member of the AIM "Corrosion" Technical Committee from 2007 to the present.
Member of the AIMAT Steering Committee from June 2013 to July 2017.
Member of the CTS of AREA Science Park since 2022.
Member of the CTS of Friuli Innovazione since 2020.
He has repeatedly been a member and President of juries for the evaluation of PhD theses at various European universities including:

Universitè de Provence Aix Marseille I (France)

• University of Delft (The Netherland)
• Universitè du Sud Toulon-Var (France)
• University of San Sebastian (Spain)
• Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain)
• University of Mons (Belgium)
• University Pierre et Marie Curie Paris (France)
• University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
• University of Maribor (Slovenia).

Scientific responsible for the following European projects

• "Study of organic and inorganic protective coatings for reinforced concrete" within the COST 521 project "Corrosion of steel in reinforced structures" 1997 -2001.
• NANO _HVOF - "Replacement of hard chrome coatings for mechanical components by high-pressure nano-structured HVOF powder coatings" funded by the European Community in the 5th Framework Programme 2000-2003.
• MULTIPROTECT - "Advanced and environmentally friendly multifunctional corrosion protection through nanotechnology" funded by the European Community in the 6th Framework Programme 2005-2009.
• Bilateral Italy-Spain project (2009 - 2010) "Hybrid organic - inorganic multilayer coatings with self-healing properties".
• "EURAXLES" - Minimisation of the risk of fatigue failure of railway axles" funded by the European Community in the 7th Framework Programme November 2010 - May 2014.
• COST E-Minds - "Electrochemical treatment and corrosion protection methodologies for miniaturisation of devices and systems" 2015-2018.
• Innovative Training Networks (ITN) - ETN "mCBEEs" - Advanced integrative solutions to Corrosion problems beyond micro-scale: towards long-term durability of miniaturized Biomedical, Electronic and Energy systems, 2018 - 2021.
• INTERREG Italy - Austria project "FASTHER" 2019 - 2021.

He also participated in the following research projects funded by the European Community

• Stimulation of cooperation (n° ST2J-00372-I), between I.R.S.T. (Trento) and the University of Provence (Marseilles) concerning the study of coatings obtained by Physical Vapour Deposition 1985 - 1988;
• Euram Brite project with Fulmer Ltd. (UK) as prime proposer, concerning the development of new magnesium alloys obtained by thixoforming 1988 - 1990;
• CRAFT project with Holland Pigments (NL) as prime proposer, concerning the study of new organic conductor-type coatings 1998 - 2000.

National and local scientific manager of several PRIN projects. The technical-scientific competences mainly concern the following topics

• Defectology and durability of materials;
• Degradation and protection of cementitious materials;
• Production techniques, processing and physical and chemical properties of metallic materials (steels, aluminium alloys, copper alloys, magnesium alloys);
• Surface treatments of metallic materials:

        - non-conventional (PVD, CVD, ALD, thermal spray, sol-gel);

        - metal protective coatings and chemical conversion;

       - organic coatings, paints and varnishes;

•  Powder metallurgy:

        - coatings;

        - stainless steels;

•  Non-destructive testing;
• Corrosion control at the design stage;
• Quality in production processes.

Member of the Scientific Committee of the following International and National Congresses:

EUROCORR from 2002 to 2017

• Workshop on "Application of Electrochemical Techniques to Organic Coatings" since 1999
• International conference on "Corrosion 2005 Science and Economy - New Challenges", 8-10 June 2005 Warsaw.
• National Congress "National Days on Corrosion and Protection" since 2005.
• EMCR since 2015
• ASST since 2015

Author of more than 300 publications in international and national journals and conference proceedings. Has edited 3 books on innovative coatings.

He has carried out applied research activities in collaboration with numerous companies including: Akzo Nobel, Lowara, Magneti Marelli, Pirelli, AutoBrennero, Whirlpool, Acciaierie Pittini, EMU GROUP, Chemetall Italia, Montefluos, Metal Sinter GKN, Fincantieri, Limacorporate, Athena, Centro Ricerche Danieli (CRD), Electrolux, Wartsila, Modine.