Maurizio Collu

Professor Maurizio Collu is a Professor in Offshore Renewable Energy Engineering at the Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering Department of the University of Strathclyde, where he joined in August 2018. He serves as Chair of the ITTC Ocean Renewable Energy committee (2021-24) and is a member of the editorial boards for Ocean Engineering and Wind Energy Science journals.

His research focuses on applied mechanics with specialization in multidisciplinary, coupled models of dynamics for offshore renewable energy systems. Professor Collu's work in the analysis and design of floating offshore wind turbines and multi-purpose offshore structures is recognized as excellent at the international level. He has directly managed approximately 4.5M£ of public research funding across projects totaling around 28.5M£, funded by major organizations including EPSRC, NERC, EU programs, and industry partners.

Professor Collu leads significant research initiatives including the Ocean RE-Fuel project (2021-2026), a £10M EPSRC project focused on floating wind turbines producing hydrogen, and previously contributed to the EU H2020 "Blue Growth Farm" project. His research spans the development of advanced aero-hydro-servo-elastic coupled models of dynamics for innovative offshore wind turbine configurations and technical feasibility assessments of floating offshore wind turbine systems with integrated hydrogen production.

His publication record demonstrates expertise in floating offshore wind turbine design, hydrodynamic analysis, and multi-purpose offshore platforms. Recent work focuses on spar floating wind turbine optimization, fatigue prediction frameworks, semisubmersible configurations, and integrated wind-hydrogen systems, showing a clear trajectory toward more complex, integrated offshore renewable energy solutions.

Scientific Awards

• Calder Prize Recipient (2011)

Professor Collu has supervised multiple research students and has worked closely with both public funding bodies and private sector companies ranging from startups to multinational energy corporations. His external engagements include serving as Guest Professor at Harbin Engineering University (2019-2024) and as an external examiner for ship science programs at the University of Southampton.

His laboratory work involves developing advanced modeling frameworks for offshore renewable energy systems, with particular focus on floating wind turbine technology and multi-purpose offshore platforms that integrate renewable energy generation with other marine activities such as aquaculture.