Bettar Ould el Moctar

Prof. Bettar Ould el Moctar is a Full Professor for Ship Technology and Ocean Engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, where he has served as Head of the Institute of Sustainable and Autonomous Maritime Systems (INAM) since 2008. He also directs the Model Basin: Development Centre for Ship Technology and Transport Systems (DST) in Duisburg. His academic career spans naval architecture, ocean engineering, and computational fluid dynamics with extensive industry experience in maritime technology.

Prof. el Moctar earned his Graduate Engineer Degree in Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering from the University of Hamburg (1990-1997), followed by a PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics from the Hamburg University of Technology (1997-2001). His doctoral research focused on "Numerical Computation of Flow Induced Forces Acting on Manoeuvring Ships."

Prof. el Moctar's research spans ship technology, ocean engineering, computational fluid dynamics, cavitation, hydrodynamics, and hydroelasticity. His work addresses critical challenges in maritime systems including wave-structure interactions, fluid-structure dynamics, cavitation control, and energy harvesting from marine environments. He has pioneered research in computational methods for seakeeping problems and developed innovative approaches for analyzing wave-induced loads and hydroelasticity effects.

His extensive publication record demonstrates significant contributions across fluid dynamics, ship technology, and ocean engineering. Recent work shows a strong focus on cavitation phenomena, energy harvesting from marine environments, hydroelasticity of floating structures, and advanced computational methods. His research integrates experimental, numerical, and data-driven approaches to solve complex maritime engineering challenges.

• Georg Weinblum-Award (for dissertation, 2001)
• Landrini Award (for research activities, 2005)

Prof. el Moctar has served as Editor in Chief of the Journal of Ship Technology Research and holds editorial positions with several prominent journals. His professional activities include membership on numerous advisory boards including the German Research Ships "Meteor" and "Merian," the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. He previously held leadership positions at Germanischer Lloyd AG and DNV GL SE before his academic appointment.

As Director of INAM and the Model Basin DST, Prof. el Moctar oversees advanced research facilities for maritime technology development. His institute conducts cutting-edge research in sustainable and autonomous maritime systems, with capabilities in computational modeling, experimental testing, and technology transfer to industry partners.