The PhD

The Ph.D. Program addresses in an integrated manner the challenges of the digital and energy transition (Industry 5.0, Cyber-Physical Systems, Green Deal), focusing on the interaction among electronic, electrical, energy, and mechanical systems in industrial environments, as well as on the dynamics of production and distribution systems, with the aim of identifying efficient, reliable, and sustainable design and management solutions.

The program evolves in line with the scientific and cultural development of the reference disciplines, promoting continuous interaction with research institutions, industries, and public organizations. This synergy ensures the constant updating of educational contents and research activities in response to ongoing technological, industrial, and societal transformations.

The program develops high-level expertise in multiscale modeling, hardware architecture design, and management of complex systems, combining physics-based methods, data-driven techniques, and simulation tools to support decarbonization, electrification of energy consumption, integration of distributed resources, and digitalization of industrial processes.

The educational and professional profiles are designed to train researchers capable of operating in interdisciplinary and international contexts. Ph.D. graduates will acquire specific expertise in the optimization of complex systems and will be able to contribute both to scientific advancement and technology transfer in key sectors such as microelectronics, energy systems, advanced manufacturing, sustainable mobility, and biomedical technologies.

Research activities integrate sensing technologies with mechanical design, thermo-fluid dynamic analysis, and industrial safety, extending to smart building applications. The Ph.D. Program therefore promotes a regional and industrial ecosystem of international relevance, fostering direct collaboration between academic research and industrial innovation.

The Program is aligned with European and national strategies for the development of enabling technologies. The educational approach follows a flexible model: each Ph.D. student develops specialized expertise within a primary research area while also benefiting from interdisciplinary courses, seminars, and doctoral schools.

The main research activities are organized into three areas:

1. Hardware and Electronic Systems: micro- and nanoelectronics, integrated circuits and microsystems, communication electronics, sensors and testing, embedded systems and edge computing, Cyber-Physical Systems, power electronics, electromagnetic modeling, and optimization of electronic devices and systems.
2. Energy and Physical Systems: electric power systems and Smart Grids, renewable energy generation, innovative photovoltaics, electric mobility, energy conversion, thermophysics and thermo-fluid dynamics, building energy modeling, environmental sustainability, management of distributed energy systems, and sustainable industrial processes.
3. Mechanical, Industrial, and Management Systems: mechanics of materials and structures, machines and energy systems, Digital Twin and CAD-CAE simulations, advanced manufacturing, mechatronic and multibody systems, bioengineering and innovative materials, optimization of production and logistics systems, purchasing and supply chain management, asset safety and reliability, circular economy, and industrial symbiosis.