Full Professor of Agricultural Mechanics and Food Industry Machinery at the Department of Soil, Plant, and Food Sciences (DiSSPA), University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy.
He carries out multidisciplinary research focused on the optimization of agro-industrial machinery, process efficiency, and the sustainability of agri-food supply chains. His work addresses machine–product–process interactions, precision agriculture, and the integration of sensor systems in food processing plants for real-time process data acquisition, recording, and big data analysis through advanced artificial intelligence protocols for process monitoring and optimization. In the olive oil sector, he has developed and optimized decanters, de-stoners, crushers, malaxers, and heat exchangers, and has investigated the use of microwave, ultrasound, and pulsed electric field technologies to enhance extraction processes.
Author of over 100 scientific publications, he is a member of the Accademia dei Georgofili and the National Academy of Olive and Oil.
He has participated in international cooperation programs in Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Pakistan, and Libya, aimed at developing sustainable agriculture models, increasing mechanization levels, and improving the efficiency of agri-food value chains.