How CORRASBlue is structured
CORRASBlue is divided into 7 work packages.
1 management WP
1 stakeholder engagement WP
4 scientific WP
1 dissemination WP
WP 1 – Management
WP lead: Biwen Annie An Stepec
Dr. Biwen (Annie) An Stepec (formerly An) received her Ph.D. in Environmental Microbiology from the University of Calgary in 2014. From 2017-2022, she joined the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) as a postdoctoral researcher, where her research focused on microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) with the aim to increase interdisciplinary relevance between microbiology, materials science and chemistry. Besides research, Annie has lectured at the Humboldt University of Berlin on the topic of ‘electroactive’ microorganisms and their role within our society. She is also part of the organizing committee for the International Symposium on Applied Microbiology and Molecular Biology in Oil Systems (ISMOS). In March 2023, she was elected as the Roadmap Leader for Hydrogen Europe & Hydrogen Europe Research RM04-Hydrogen Storage. Since 2023, she works as a senior researcher in the Norwegian research institute NORCE in Bergen, Norway, and her current research topics includes:
Microbial processes and risks during hydrogen underground storage
Microbiologically influenced corrosion & related corrosion monitoring and testing
Microbial processes in soil, water and the subsurface
Microbial processes in extreme environments, particularly high salinity conditions
WP Vice lead: Andreas Erbe
Educated as physical interface chemist, Andreas work as professor of corrosion and interface chemistry at NTNU, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology since 2015. His specialities are metal pretreatment and the elucidation of electrochemical reaction mechanisms by coupling lab-based optical spectroscopy (e.g., IR, Raman, ellipsometry) with electrochemical experiments. Our group works on all types of materials and questions, but has especially good expertise on aluminium. More recent activities look into the use of data science and machine learning (“artifical intelligence”) in corrosion and electrochemistry.
WP 2 – Requirement analysis and Stakeholder Engagement
WP lead: Anette Alsted Rasmussen
Dr. Anette Alsted Rasmussen is a specialist in corrosion and surface technology with more than 20 years of experience in failure analysis and damage investigation. She also brings over two decades of expertise in applied research and industrial technology development, with insight into the full innovation chain, from early concept development to final product realization. Anette is the founder and CEO of Corrosion Advice ApS, where she provides expert guidance and technical solutions to industry partners.
WP Vice lead: Abdelkader Meroufel
Abdelkader Meroufel has received a PhD degree in 2006 on material science specialized in corrosion protection from La Rochelle University, France. He has a hybrid experience: academic and industrial. He accumulates more than 21 years of experience in middle east and Europe regions. He has authored 40 scientific publications, two patents and two books. His research interest includes corrosion science and engineering and materials durability in soils, biorefinery and drinking water. He is a certified cathodic proetction traininer in marine sector ISO 15257 level 3 and he is AMPP international member and reviewer in several peer-reviewed scientific journals.
WP2 focuses on gathering, structuring, and integrating stakeholder needs to ensure that the Coastal Corrosion Risk Management Digital Twin (CCRM DT) is designed according to real-world priorities.
Tasks
The work package conducts a comprehensive requirement analysis, organizes stakeholder workshops and surveys, and collects feedback to guide the system’s development.
WP2 also includes a life‑cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate environmental impacts associated with corrosion management strategies. The outcome is a clear, stakeholder-driven foundation that aligns technical development with practical, industrial, and environmental expectations.
WP 3 – System Design and Architecture
WP lead: Y. (Yaiza) Gonzalez Garcia
Yaiza Gonzalez-Garcia obtained an MSc degree in Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of La Laguna (Spain) in 2003. After this, she received PhD-degree in October 2007 at the same university in the Physical Chemistry department. The Thesis’s focus was the novel application of microelectrochemical methods for studying the degradation of (coated)-metals. She performed post-doc research at Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel (Germany) within the national project “Function by switching” (SFB677). During the same period, she obtained a Humboldt Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship (Germany) with the project titled “In situ study of early stages of polyurethane degradation during exposure to the aqueous solution at nanoscopic level”. In 2010, she started as a post-doc in the Corrosion Technology and Electrochemistry (CTE) group at Delft University of Technology. She focused on the local microelectrochemical evaluation of self-healing coatings within the IOP-Self Healing Materials framework (Project IOP-SHM08740). Later she joined the SURF-group at Vrije University of Brussels (Belgium), where she successfully performed various investigations focused on the simulation of microelectrochemical measurements for corrosion studies. This research was done within the national research project “Design and Prediction of Nanostructured Metal Surfaces (NANOMET). In July 2014, she was awarded a Delft Technology Fellowship grant and appointed to a tenure-track position in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
She is an Associate Professor in the Materials Science and Engineering department. She leads the Localized Corrosion and Electrochemistry team with two main research lines. The first focuses on studying the relationship between the microstructure of metals and corrosion properties. The second research line focuses on the microelectrochemical characterization of materials for diverse applications such as energy storage, art heritage and biomaterials. The application of high-resolution electrochemical methods (based on micro- and nano-sensors) connects both research lines.
WP Vice lead: Husnu Gerengi
Dr. Hüsnü Gerengi is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Duzce University in Turkey. He is the representative member of his country in the International Corrosion Council (ICC) since 2015 http://icc-net.org/index.php/team_member/turkey/ . His subject expertise and focus is on corrosion and corrosion control, corrosion-resistant materials, corrosion inhibitors – principles and mechanisms. He is the first researcher who used Dynamic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (DEIS) method in corrosion inhibitor studies. He investigates the long-term evolution of impedance in a corrosion cell on adding an inhibitor. Through this technique, he can quantify and qualify the effectiveness of inhibitors and coatings. Besides corrosion, he has research interests in plastic material technology, rubber material technology and plastic & rubber additives. His dynamic and well-equipped laboratory has currently become a knowledge and research centre for many postdoctoral researchers, doctoral students, masters and bachelors degree students. Corrosion-resistant steel, Al, Cu and brass alloys, Mg-based bioresorbable medical implants and corrosion-resistant construction materials are some of the ongoing topics for research in his laboratory. He has given numerous invited lectures at many national and international conferences and has authored more than 60 SCI scientific papers in high-impact journals. He has seven ongoing patents to his credit based on boron-doped corrosion inhibitors.
This work package establishes the foundation for developing a Digital Twin (DT) tailored to marine and coastal environments. The focus is on identifying the systems to be modelled, defining the required data streams, and ensuring secure, efficient data handling.
Tasks
1. System Identification & Data Acquisition
We will select the most relevant marine and offshore infrastructure types based on factors such as corrosion risk, biofouling potential, operational importance, and data availability. A dedicated data acquisition plan will be created, combining targeted sensor deployment on critical components with controlled laboratory experiments to reproduce site-specific conditions.
2. Data Processing & Machine Learning Framework
A robust data architecture will be developed to handle large volumes of real‑time and historical data. This includes defining the necessary software tools, computational resources, and storage solutions across both cloud and local systems. The work also includes designing the machine learning models that will analyse incoming data and exploring options for 3D visualization layers that will support DT interpretation.
3. Security Framework Development
Given the critical nature of marine and offshore systems, a dedicated security protocol will be established. This includes defining access control mechanisms and applying strong data encryption standards (such as AES‑256) to ensure safe data handling and secure communication within the DT ecosystem.
WP 4 – Data Collection and Integration
WP lead: Abdelkader Meroufel
Abdelkader Meroufel has received a PhD degree in 2006 on material science specialized in corrosion protection from La Rochelle University, France. He has a hybrid experience: academic and industrial. He accumulates more than 21 years of experience in middle east and Europe regions. He has authored 40 scientific publications, two patents and two books. His research interest includes corrosion science and engineering and materials durability in soils, biorefinery and drinking water. He is a certified cathodic proetction traininer in marine sector ISO 15257 level 3 and he is AMPP international member and reviewer in several peer-reviewed scientific journals.
WP Vice lead: Marc Jeanin
Marc Jeanin is an Assistant Professor of Physics at the LaSIE laboratory at La Rochelle University. He began his PhD in Physical Sciences in 1991 at the Laboratoire de Spectrométrie Physique at Grenoble University, where his research focused on molecular recognition in paramagnetic ionic solutions through nuclear relaxation, as well as diffusion measurements in solid polymers using NMR.
In 1995, he joined La Rochelle University and the LaSIE corrosion laboratory to begin his work in marine corrosion and cathodic protection, in collaboration with the LISE laboratory at Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris. Together with Prof. Philippe Refait, he became a specialist in rust layer analysis using micro‑Raman spectroscopy and X‑ray diffraction (XRD). He earned his habilitation to supervise research (HDR) in 2010, with a focus on iron oxidation processes. Marc Jeanin is the project leader of a €5M ANR-funded initiative on the formation of calcareous agglomerates (Ecocorail) produced through cathodic protection as a solution for coastal erosion mitigation and depollution. This project is conducted in collaboration with research groups at Caen University, the University of New Caledonia, and the company Géocorail SAS. He has also developed international collaborations with the University of Tunis El-Manar, the University of Béjaia in Algeria, the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, and the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, supervising several PhD candidates. As an expert in Raman spectroscopy, he has collaborated with numerous industrial partners, including ArcelorMittal, Michelin, Naval Group, and Corrodys. He is the co-author of more than 100 peer‑reviewed publications and three book chapters. His research on microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) began in 2009, and since 2019 he has also worked on marine biocalcifying bacteria. Since 2021, Marc Jeanin has served as President of the Biodegradation of Materials Commission of the French National Corrosion Association. He is also co-organizer of training programmes on biocorrosion for both industrial and academic participants.
The objective of this work package is to develop a harmonized, interactive database that consolidates baseline and real‑life data on marine corrosion processes, corrosion protection performance, biofouling activity, and key seawater physicochemical parameters across relevant European basins, providing high‑quality, standardized inputs for Digital Twin and AI modelling frameworks.
Tasks
1. Baseline Data Compilation: The consortium will identify, collect, and critically review existing literature and open datasets on material degradation behaviour, corrosion protection system performance, biofouling indices, and seawater corrosivity parameters. This screening process will extract the most relevant datasets and systematically identify gaps requiring targeted acquisition.
2. Acquisition of Real‑Life Data: Missing or insufficient datasets will be generated through in‑situ monitoring and ex‑situ laboratory analyses following the project’s data acquisition protocols. These measurements will capture spatial and temporal variations in corrosion, biofouling, protection system effectiveness, and environmental conditions under representative marine scenarios.
3. Data Harmonization and Integration: All baseline and newly acquired datasets will be transformed into standardized formats and integrated into a unified repository aligned with the project’s data architecture. This harmonization will ensure compatibility with the Digital Twin, enabling advanced modelling of corrosion risks, material–environment interactions, and long-term performance forecasting.
WP 5 – Digital Twin Development
WP lead: Uroš Trdan
Uroš Trdan joined the Department of Materials Science and Technology at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana (FME-UL), Slovenia, as an Assistant Professor in 2016. He received his PhD from UL-FME in 2013. During his early career, he participated in many research projects, collaborated with several industrial partners, and served as a visiting Professor at the PIMM laboratorie of Arts et Métiers ParisTech. His research interests include characterization of high-intensity laser interaction with matter, welding and additive technologies, microstructural and mechanical properties, electrochemical corrosion and passivation ability, acoustic emission non-destructive monitoring, residual stresses, etc. He was the mentor or commentor to more than 25 students and is the author of more than 50 scientific and technical publications in the field of Manufacturing and/or Materials Science Technology. He cooperate with several companies and acts as the reviewer for more than 15 journals.
WP Vice lead: Andrea Koerdt
Andrea Koerdt is a microbiologist and Principal Investigator working on microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) at the Federal Institute of Material Research and Testing, where she has led MIC research since 2016. Her group achieved a major advancement in the field by designing and implementing a novel MIC testing method that demonstrated up to a 200% increase in corrosion rates caused by a MIC‑active methanogenic microorganism. She has established herself internationally as a leading early‑career researcher, particularly through her role as Chair of the COST Action Euro‑MIC.
Andrea has organized and contributed to numerous internal and external research projects and scientific events, and she has presented her work at multiple international conferences. Since 2020, she has also been organizing a widely attended interdisciplinary webinar series that regularly attracts around 100 participants per event, featuring speakers from academia, industry, consultancy, and policy sectors.
She is an active member of several professional organizations, including VAAM, AMPP, IBBR, TMS, Hydrogen Europe, and she contributes to the NACE standardization committee (TM21495), which is developing a standardized test method for evaluating the effects of biocides on biofilms.
Objective: WP5 aims to develop a Digital Twin (DT) model for marine structures to support the monitoring, prediction, and management of corrosion, including microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). The DT will integrate existing datasets, newly collected sensor data, and AI-based algorithms to estimate the current corrosion state and predict future corrosion progression, enabling improved condition monitoring and preventive maintenance strategies.
The DT will comprise several core components: a data ingestion module (database and client–server architecture for data acquisition and management), an AI prediction module for corrosion state estimation and forecasting, a model retraining module that periodically updates models as new data become available, and an evaluation module for assessing model performance and reliability.
Tasks.
T5.1 – DT architecture design (Lead: P4; M10–M12). Design the overall architecture of the Digital Twin system, enabling integration of multi-source time-series monitoring data and predictive algorithms. The architecture will support efficient data ingestion and dynamic updating of corrosion state estimation and prediction based on environmental parameters (e.g., temperature, salinity, pH) and structural health data.
T5.2 – Data-driven corrosion and MIC modelling (Lead: P2; M12–M18). Develop AI-based models to estimate the current corrosion state and predict corrosion progression in marine environments using environmental and monitoring data. These models will identify patterns and relationships in multi-source datasets to enhance predictive capability and support improved infrastructure management.
T5.3 – Sensor data integration and adaptive model updating (Lead: P6; M16–M22). Develop methods for integrating sensor inputs into the Digital Twin framework. Monitoring data will be used to update corrosion state estimation and prediction, while periodic retraining of AI models will incorporate newly collected data to improve predictive accuracy and adapt to changing environmental conditions.
T5.4 – Virtual modelling of marine structures (Lead: P3; M20–M25). Deliver a virtual model of marine structures capable of estimating corrosion condition and predicting corrosion and MIC progression. The model will integrate monitoring data and AI-based prediction methods to support condition tracking and early detection of potential damage.
WP 6 – Validation and optimization
WP lead: Andrea Koerdt
Andrea Koerdt is a microbiologist and Principal Investigator working on microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) at the Federal Institute of Material Research and Testing, where she has led MIC research since 2016. Her group achieved a major advancement in the field by designing and implementing a novel MIC testing method that demonstrated up to a 200% increase in corrosion rates caused by a MIC‑active methanogenic microorganism. She has established herself internationally as a leading early‑career researcher, particularly through her role as Chair of the COST Action Euro‑MIC.
Andrea has organized and contributed to numerous internal and external research projects and scientific events, and she has presented her work at multiple international conferences. Since 2020, she has also been organizing a widely attended interdisciplinary webinar series that regularly attracts around 100 participants per event, featuring speakers from academia, industry, consultancy, and policy sectors.
She is an active member of several professional organizations, including VAAM, AMPP, IBBR, TMS, Hydrogen Europe, and she contributes to the NACE standardization committee (TM21495), which is developing a standardized test method for evaluating the effects of biocides on biofilms.
WP Vice lead: Y. (Yaiza) Gonzalez Garcia
Yaiza Gonzalez-Garcia obtained an MSc degree in Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of La Laguna (Spain) in 2003. After this, she received PhD-degree in October 2007 at the same university in the Physical Chemistry department. The Thesis’s focus was the novel application of microelectrochemical methods for studying the degradation of (coated)-metals. She performed post-doc research at Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel (Germany) within the national project “Function by switching” (SFB677). During the same period, she obtained a Humboldt Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship (Germany) with the project titled “In situ study of early stages of polyurethane degradation during exposure to the aqueous solution at nanoscopic level”. In 2010, she started as a post-doc in the Corrosion Technology and Electrochemistry (CTE) group at Delft University of Technology. She focused on the local microelectrochemical evaluation of self-healing coatings within the IOP-Self Healing Materials framework (Project IOP-SHM08740). Later she joined the SURF-group at Vrije University of Brussels (Belgium), where she successfully performed various investigations focused on the simulation of microelectrochemical measurements for corrosion studies. This research was done within the national research project “Design and Prediction of Nanostructured Metal Surfaces (NANOMET). In July 2014, she was awarded a Delft Technology Fellowship grant and appointed to a tenure-track position in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
She is an Associate Professor in the Materials Science and Engineering department. She leads the Localized Corrosion and Electrochemistry team with two main research lines. The first focuses on studying the relationship between the microstructure of metals and corrosion properties. The second research line focuses on the microelectrochemical characterization of materials for diverse applications such as energy storage, art heritage and biomaterials. The application of high-resolution electrochemical methods (based on micro- and nano-sensors) connects both research lines.
The objective for WP6 is to validate and optimize the DT model using real-world marine environments, ensuring its reliability for corrosion risk prediction and management. The validation process will focus on field tests, real-time updates, and the model’s ability to provide actionable insights for maintenance decision-making.
Tasks
Field testing and model validation: Conduct field tests to validate the DT model’s accuracy in predicting corrosion and MIC. The testing will involve real-time data input from sensors, assessing the model’s ability to adapt to changing conditions and operational stresses.
Real-time prognosis and self-updating DT: Integrate real-time data to enable self-updating capabilities within the DT model, ensuring continuous refinement of predictions. This task will focus on the system’s ability to provide real-time prognosis for corrosion and MIC damage, allowing for timely maintenance actions.
AI-driven predictive maintenance optimization: Develop an AI-driven system for predictive maintenance decision-making based on the framework defined in WP3. The system will offer real-time recommendations based on the DT’s analysis of corrosion risks and projected damage progression, supporting optimized, cost-effective maintenance strategies.
WP 7 – Dissemination and Exploitation
WP lead: Torben Lund Skovhus
Torben Lund Skovhus is Docent and Project Manager at VIA University College in the Centre of Applied Research and Development in Building, Energy and Environment (Horsens, Denmark). He graduated from Aarhus University, Denmark, in 2002 with a master’s degree (cand.scient.) in biology. In 2005 he earned a PhD from the Department of Microbiology, Aarhus University. In 2005, Torben was employed at Danish Technological Institute (DTI) in the Centre for Chemistry and Water Technology, where he was responsible for the consultancy activities for the oil and gas industry around the North Sea. Torben was heading DTI Microbiology Laboratory while he was developing several consultancy and business activities with the oil and gas industry. He founded DTI Oil and Gas in both Denmark and Norway, where he was team and business development leader for five years. Thereafter Torben worked as project manager at DNV GL (Det Norske Veritas) in the field of corrosion management in both Bergen and Esbjerg. Torben is currently chair of NACE/AMPP TEG286X, NACE/AMPP SC-22 on Biodeterioration and ISMOS TSC, an organization he cofounded in 2006. He is an international scientific reviewer and the author of 100+ technical and scientific papers and book chapters related to industrial microbiology, applied biotechnology, corrosion management, oilfield microbiology, water treatment and safety, reservoir souring, and biocorrosion. He is scientific/technical reviewer with over 20 international journals in the same fields. He is coeditor of Applied Microbiology and Molecular Biology in Oilfield Systems (Springer, 2011); 3rd International Symposium on Applied Microbiology and Molecular Biology in Oil Systems (Elsevier, 2013); Applications of Molecular Microbiological Methods (Caister Academic Press, 2014); Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry (CRC Press, 2017), Microbiological Sensors for the Drinking Water Industry (IWA Publishing, 2018), Oilfield Microbiology (CRC Press, 2019) and Failure Analysis of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (CRC Press, 2021). Torben was honored with the NACE Technical Achievement Award in 2020 for outstanding research on MIC in the Energy Sector.
https://en.via.dk/research/built-environment-energy-water-and-climate
WP Vice lead: Sia Søndergaard
Danish producer and visual storyteller with a Master’s in aesthetic learning processes and multimedia. With 20+ years at The Animation Workshop/VIA UC, she works at the interseaction of science communication, animation and education. She is head of the Science Visualization network (Sci-Vi) and director of Imagin8 ApS. Her work includes producing AV experiences for Viborg Museum and more than 50 science films in collaboration with leading Danish universities, Ted-Ed and the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) among others
WP Vice lead: Biwen Annie An Stepec
The objective for WP7 is to bridge the gap between researchers and the broader community, including stakeholders and the public, by ensuring that research findings are accessible, understandable, and applicable. This will be achieved through effective scientific communication, visual storytelling, and interactive engagement, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the research while encouraging dialogue and collaboration.
Task
Scientific communication and visual storytelling: We will develop small, short animation films, which aim to convey the projects research and main points visually. The target group will be non-scientific stakeholders and public and the goal is to provide an informative and artistically enjoyable product. The process will first consist of idea development between animator, researchers, and professionals. After this comes a phase with character development, worldbuilding, style development, which can be continuous throughout the entire project. For each animation, the animator will develop storyboards and animatics in collaboration with the professional experts from the project, before each animation is produced and made ready for dissemination on social media, for use at conferences and relevant events. The animations will contain voice-over in English.
Stakeholder engagement and outreach activities: This task will emphasize interactive engagement and collaboration with stakeholders. We will host workshops, webinars, and public talks to foster direct interaction between scientists and stakeholders, encouraging dialogue and feedback. Additionally, we will partner with industry and relevant knowledge communities to co-create outreach initiatives that address real-world problems. A strong social media presence will be maintained to disseminate research updates, share educational content, and engage with a global audience.
Key consortium members
Elisabete R. Silva
Elisabete R. Silva (ERS) is an Assistant Researcher at the BioSystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BIOISI), Head of the Bioactive and Multifunctional Materials laboratory, and an invited Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisboa, Portugal. She completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering in December 2009 and her degree in Chemical Engineering in 2002 (5 years programme) at the University of Lisboa/Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). ERS started her research and development (R&D) activity (2003-2005) in national projects (IST) and in Chemical Industry sector, UNITECA- União Industrial Têxtil e Química S.A. and Navigator (former Portucel-Soporcel) companies. Since 2010, after her PhD, ERS has specialised in functional agents’ development (e.g., nano-catalysts, bioactive natural/synthetic compounds), mainly through surface functionalisation methodologies and immobilisation in materials, with scalability and applicability for the remediation of emerging pollutants. Since 2013 and motivated by the global need for environmentally friendly technologies for biofouling prevention, ERS embraced the design of (multi)functional agents and their chemical immobilisation in polymeric matrices to infer protective properties on industrial surfaces against waterborne biofouling and subsequent effects, such as MIC, mainly applied in the marine and water utility management sectors. In her professional career, as a team member, Principal Researcher or Coordination member has been actively involved in competitive international and national R&D projects, mostly with industrial collaboration (e.g., technical coordinator of FP7-FOULXSPEL). She disseminated and transferred her knowledge through 45+ peer-reviewed articles, books/book chapters, and 10+ patents. As a recognised scientific reviewer, ERS is a member of the Review Board of Environmental Degradation of Materials (specialty section of Frontiers in Materials, 2023) and Microorganisms (MDPI, 2020), and Guest Editor of Coatings (MDPI, 2018) and Nanomaterials (MDPI, 2021), being a frequent reviewer for other SCI journals (11). ERS is also devoted to mentoring post-doctoral fellows and students on PhD, master and bachelor graduation levels.
Kevin Rossi
Kevin is an Assistant Professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department of TU Delft.
His research leverages numerical simulations and machine learning models to overcome complex challenges in the design of safe and secure materials for green energy and sustainable chemistry.
His group focuses on advancing sustainable materials and processes for green energy, sustainable chemistry, and circular metallurgy. Using state-of-the-art computational approaches, we explore material behavior to enhance performance, durability, and environmental impact. By integrating machine learning and advanced simulations, we uncover reaction mechanisms, predict properties, and design materials tailored for sustainable applications. We also aim at bridging engineering and policy to optimize material lifecycles through green production, responsible design, and efficient recycling. Our work addresses critical challenges, enabling innovations in materials science that drive global progress toward a sustainable and secure future.
Degree in Biology, MSc in Ecology and PhD in Biosciences – Marine Ecology, at the University of Coimbra. Pedro works in the Environment & Licensing team with focus on Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Monitoring of coastal and offshore installations. He participates in the expert groups ICES WGORE, ICES WGMBRED, and GESAMP WG44.
Esra Ilhan-Sungur
Prof. Dr. Esra Ilhan-Sungur is a full professor at Istanbul University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, where her research focuses primarily on Microbiologically Induced Corrosion (MIC) and strategies for its prevention. Her broader research interests include anaerobic bacteria—particularly sulfate‑reducing bacteria—petroleum microbiology, microbial diversity and ecology, microbial biodeterioration of cellulose‑based materials, microbial genetics, and biofilm biology. She has extensive experience in detecting MIC in industrial systems and conducting wet‑lab experiments in environments such as oil reservoirs, cooling towers, and hydroelectric power plants, using interdisciplinary methods including microbiological analyses, gravimetric and electrochemical techniques, imaging methods, and chemical analysis. She also has substantial expertise in isolating and identifying aerobic and obligate anaerobic bacteria from environmental samples.
She has participated in multiple European and TÜBİTAK‑funded projects related to microbiology and MIC, and she contributed to the organization of the National Corrosion Symposium in 2023.