Antonis Vakis

Prof. Antonis Vakis is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Groningen, leading the Computational Mechanical and Materials Engineering (CMME) research group. He holds additional roles as Program Director of the MSc Industrial Engineering and Management program and Academic Fellow of the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute. His research focuses on tribology, renewable energy (particularly wave energy harvesting), advanced manufacturing, and energy storage technologies. He co-founded Ocean Grazer BV, a spin-off company developing innovative underwater pumped hydro storage systems.

Education: PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2008–2011), MSc from the same university (2005–2008), and BSc from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (2002–2005).

Research Interests: Vakis' work spans computational modeling (e.g., molecular dynamics, finite element analysis), experimental validation (using wave tanks and hydraulic systems), and industry collaboration. Key projects include dense wave energy converter arrays, offshore pumped hydro storage, and digital twins for manufacturing processes. His group employs advanced methods like boundary element and computational fluid dynamics to study fluid-structure interactions.

Awards: Recognized with the ITEA Award of Excellence (2021), finalist for the Huibregtsenprijs (2021), and recipient of grants including the Incentive Fund for Interdisciplinary Projects and DSSC XS funding.

Advancing Research: Vakis supervises over 30 PhD, Master’s, and EngD students, focusing on topics like energy systems optimization, tribology at the nanoscale, and sustainable materials. His team operates experimental facilities including wave tanks and hydraulic prototypes, ensuring robust validation of models.

Industry Collaboration: Partnerships with Ocean Grazer BV and industrial collaborators drive applied research in offshore energy systems. His lab’s innovations aim to address global energy demands through scalable, sustainable solutions.