Competences
Background:
Giacomo Struzziero graduated from the University of Bologna with an MSc in Aerospace Engineering. He then pursued a PhD in Advanced Composite Materials Manufacturing at Cranfield University, focusing on the optimisation of the VARTM process for aerospace applications as part of the FP7 INFUCOMP European project. After completing his doctorate, he continued at Cranfield University as a Research Fellow, contributing to two major projects: RPOACM, funded by UKRI, which investigated variability in materials and manufacturing and its propagation; and FP7 PULAERO, centred on developing high-quality curved composite components produced via pultrusion for the aerospace sector. In 2017, he joined the Department of Aerospace Structures and Materials at TU Delft, where he worked on the ADEM project, developing fast-processable composite materials for the wind-energy industry. In 2021, he became a scientist at EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) in Zürich, where he pioneered a novel additive manufacturing route for continuous-fibre-reinforced thermosetting composites. Since 2023, he has been working at Hitachi Energy Ltd. as a Senior R&D Materials Engineer and since August 2025 he has been appointed as Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences (TNM).
Research interests:
His research focuses on reducing material waste in the design and manufacturing of advanced composite materials. He develops methodologies that enable first-time-right design, integrating process modelling, material characterisation, and optimisation to minimise defects and inefficiencies from the earliest design stages. His work also explores pathways for reusability and recyclability of composite structures, aiming to extend material life cycles and support more sustainable manufacturing approaches. Overall, his research integrates advanced simulation, process innovation, and sustainability principles to advance next-generation composite engineering.