Marko Bacic

Professor Marko Bacic is a Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford and Engineering Fellow in Control Systems and Gas Turbine Functionality at Rolls-Royce, PLC. He leads research at the Oxford Thermofluids Institute with dual focus on academic innovation and industrial gas turbine applications, holding continuous university affiliation since 2003.

His educational credentials include:

• MEng in Engineering and Computing Science (2001), University of Oxford
• DPhil in Model Predictive Control (2004), University of Oxford

Research spans Control Engineering, Gas Turbine Systems, and Active Flow Control, emphasizing hardware-in-the-loop simulation, thermo-mechanical systems, and fluid-structure interactions. Current projects address aerospace control, active tip clearance, and hybrid-electric propulsion through the Active Flow Control for Gas Turbines research group.

Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal three dominant trends: hybrid-electric propulsion optimization for urban air mobility, acoustic excitation techniques for flow control in compressors, and thermal management innovations in turbine cooling systems, demonstrating strong industry-academia translation.

Major awards include:

• Sir Henry Royce Award for Technical Innovation (2012)
• Sir Henry Royce Patent Award (2017)
• RAEng Silver Medal (2020)

Research funding exceeds £3M through collaborations with Rolls-Royce and EPSRC:

• 'Active Control of Fluid Flows in Gas Turbines' (£1.1M, EPSRC/Rolls-Royce, 2014–2017)
• 'Advanced Transient Heat Transfer Facility' (£1.3M, Rolls-Royce/ATI, 2011-2015)
• 'Real-time transient disc modelling' (£72k, Rolls-Royce, 2011-2014)
• 'Hardware-in-the-loop simulation for UAVs' (£114k, EPSRC)
• 'Non-return valve failure investigation' (£126k, Rolls-Royce/EPSRC)
• 'Engineering applications of bird flight' ($300k, AFOSR)

He directs experimental facilities including a subscale test rig for compact heat exchangers and hardware-in-the-loop simulators for gas turbine systems, with active Rolls-Royce partnerships driving patent development and market deployment.