Expertise and Career

Michele Penza is Principal Investigator (Prime Researcher) of Materials Science and Engineering, Sensor Devices, Environmental Measurements and Critical Raw Materials Technologies, at the ENEA - Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Economic Sustainable Development in Brindisi, Italy.

Italian National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor in Experimental Physics of Matter (02/B1 - ASN 2021-23) valid from 6 February 2023 to 6 February 2034.

Michele Penza (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7392-7593), Degree in Physics in 1990 from University of Bari, Italy. First, he worked with CNRSM SCpA (IT S&T Park) and then joined ENEA in 2001. He currently manages research projects (regional, national, international) and teams on material science and technology, functional materials, sensors and solid-state devices at Brindisi Research Centre, Italy.

His research interests are in sensor materials, nanomaterials, advanced materials, gas sensors, portable sensor-systems, air quality networked sensors, functional applications, environmental technologies and measurements, functional materials, materials processing and characterization, materials technologies, Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) and related technologies.

He was awarded with E2-Excellence ENEA 2008 for a Special Mention in Environmental Research. He co-authored 180 peer-reviewed Publications, 3 Book Chapters, 11 Special Issues, 2 International WMO Reports and other numerous communications to national/international conferences (140 Oral Communications including 37 Invited/Plenary Talks) and 3 national Patents.

Citations (Mar 2024): Web of Science (4260+). Scopus (4920+). ResearchGate (5770+). Google Scholar (7130+).

H-index (Mar 2024): Web of Science (40). Scopus (42). ResearchGate (44). Google Scholar (46).

Co-organizer of scientific meetings, chair of conference-sessions, member of international scientific committees (EUROSENSORS, EMRS, MRS, IEEE SENSORS, IMCS), international expert for FP7-projects and national research agency/council, international reviewer, research manager with SMEs partnership. Session Chair in International Workshops/Conferences and as Symposia/Meetings/Workshops Organizer.

Reviewer for international journals at high impact factor, and for national/international research council/agencies to evaluate research projects. Member of Advisory Boards and Steering Committees of international conferences and research projects.

Associate Editor for Journal of Sensors and Sensor Systems, Journal of Sensors, Chemosensors, Sensors, Sensors and Transducers, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology - Section Materials; Guest Editor of several special issues (Elsevier, IEEE, ASP, Hindawi, Copernicus, Beilstein Institute, MDPI).

He was Chair of COST Action TD1105 EuNetAir - European Network on New Sensing Technologies for Air-Pollution Control and Environmental Sustainability - (2012-16) including 120+ teams from 31 COST Countries and 7 Non-COST Countries (USA, Canada, Morocco, Ukraine, Russia, China, Australia).

He is Chairman of the European Sensor Systems Cluster (ESSC), launched by EC DG R&I on November 2014. He is Coordinator of the EIT RawMaterials Hub - Regional Center Southern Italy (RCSI), hosted by ENEA at Brindisi Research Centre in Italy, since 2019.

He has been included in the 2022 list of the Top 2% most-cited Worldwide Scientists, ranked as top-1000 scientist in the field of Analytical Chemistry and Physics; and as Top Italian Scientist ranked as top-100 scientist in the field of Physics - Material and Nano Sciences, as edited by Standford University using H-index and Citations reported in Scopus and Google Scholar.

Since 1 July 2015, he serves in ENEA - Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development - as Head of Laboratory Functional Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Applications at the Department for Sustainability in the Division of Sustainable Materials at Brindisi Research Centre, Brindisi, Italy.

Education and Training

1983 - 1990 MSc in Physics. Faculty of Sciences, Department of Physics - University of Bari, Italy. Solid State Physics with Electronic Specialization. Dissertation title: Characterization of TiN thin films deposited by ion beam sputtering. Supervisor: Prof. Antonio Valentini - Prof. Roberto Piccolo. Grade 110/110

Sept 1989 Certificate of Attendance. Short Course: Fundamentals of Physics and Technology of Semiconductors. Technical-Scientific Seminar. University of Lecce, Italian National Group Matter Structure, Lecce, Italy. Training pre-lauream in materials science

Sept 1991 Certificate of Attendance. Short Course: Thin Films for Optics. Technical-Scientific Seminar. University of Lecce, Italian National Group Matter Structure, Lecce, Italy. Training post-lauream in materials science

1991 - 1992 Fellowship INFM - Italian National Institute of Physics of Matter, Bari, Italy. Theme: Deposition of ZnO films for optical applications

1992 - 1994 Fellowship CNRSM - National Center for Research and Development of Materials, Brindisi, Italy. Research stages at 1) Department of Physics - University of Bari, Bari (Italy); 2) Russian Academy of Sciences - Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics, Moscow (Russia), and 3) CNR- Institute of Acoustics “O.M. Corbino”, Rome (Italy). Theme: Deposition, characterization and testing of piezoelectric thin films for gas sensing applications and devices

Positions

2015 - present: ENEA - Head of Laboratory Functional Materials and Technologies for Sustainble Technologies - Division Sustainable Materials - Department for Sustainability - ENEA, Brindisi, Italy. Manager in Materials science and engineering, gas sensors, transducers, critical raw materials.

2001 - 2015: ENEA - Researcher, Brindisi, Italy. Theme: Materials science and engineering, gas sensors, transducers

1994 - 2001: CNRSM - Permanent Researcher, Brindisi, Italy. Theme: Materials science and engineering, gas sensors, transducers

1992 - 1994: CNRSM - Temporary Researcher, Brindisi, Italy. Theme: Materials science and engineering, gas sensors, transducers

SCIENTIFIC TRACK RECORD - Main Activities and Responsibilities:

• (1 July 2015 - today): ENEA - Head of Laboratory Functional Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Applications - Brindisi Research Center - Department for Sustainability - Division of Sustainable Materials
• (2019 - today): Coordinator of EIT RawMaterials Regional Center Southern Italy hosted by ENEA in Brindisi (Italy)
• (2010 - today): Team Leader of 12 nationally-funded and 3 international/bilateral R&D projects
• (2010 - today): Tutor/Supervisor of 4 PhD students and 6 Post-Doc researchers
• (2001 - today): Coordinator of 20 regional/national R&D projects (PON 2007-2013, Smart Cities, Industry-2015, SMEs Regional Innovation Partnership, Network of Public Research Laboratories, PON SNSI 2014-2020)
• (2010 - 2014): Member of Network of ENEA Contact Points for International Projects
• (2012 - 2016): Chair COST Action TD1105 - European Network on New Sensing Technologies for Air-Pollution Control and Environmental Sustainability
• (2014 - today): Chairman European Sensor Systems Cluster (ESSC)
• (2014 - today): Member of Board of Delegates European Materials Research Society (EMRS)
• (2014 - today): Member of Technical Program Committee for EUROSENSORS 2014 - present, IEEE SENSORS 2018, TRANSDUCERS 2019 - EUROSENSORS 2019
• (2014, 2018): Track Chair of IEEE SENSORS 2014 and EUROSENSORS 2018
• (2018, 2020): Lead Author of World Meteorological Organization Report on Low-cost sensors for the measurement of the atmospheric composition. WMO Report 2018 N.1215. WMO Report 2020.
• (2010 - today): Member of Steering Committee in International Conferences
• (2010 - today): Member of Advisory Board in FP7 projects
• (2018 - today): Member of Stakeholder Committee of the University of Salento (Lecce, Italy) - Innovation and Materials Engineering
• (2001 - today): Chair of Sessions in International Workshops and Conferences
• (2010 - today): Organizer of Workshops and Symposia (EMRS Spring Meeting 2014, EMRS Spring Meeting 2016, MRS Fall Meeting 2016) devoted to Sensor Materials, Chemical Sensors, Systems and Technologies for Environment and Energy

Awards, Honours and Fellowships

• Top Italian Scientist - 2023: ranked in the Top-100 Italian Scientists in the field of Physics - Materials and Nano Sciences using the listed H-index managed by Google Scholar and Scopus. https://en.wiki.topitalianscientists.org/Michele_Penza
• Top 2% Worldwide most-cited Scientists - 2022: ranked in the Top-1000 World Scientists in the “Analytical Chemistry” sub-field#1 and “Applied Physics” sub-field#2 of the “Physics & Astronomy” field using the listed H-index and other science indicators managed by Scopus (Elsevier). The report was prepared by a team of experts led by Professor John Ioannidis at Stanford University. Career-long data (H-index, citations, score) are updated to 2021 by Scopus citations received. https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/datasets/btchxktzyw
• COST Action TD1105 as Top-Story (2015): COST Action EuNetAir - New Sensing Technologies for Air Pollution Control and Environmental Sustainability - awarded as a Success Story Action to collaborate in the framework of international networking and Pan-European initiatives including 200+ researchers/scientists/managers of 120+ teams (academia, research, industry, SMEs, startups, spinoffs) from 38 Countries (31 COST Countries from EU-zone and 7 Non-COST Countries worldwide). URL: http://www.eunetair.it/. URL: https://www.cost.eu/actions/TD1105/
• Award Best Poster 2014 at MACPoll Project Meeting - EURAMET: Special Mention for Environmental Sensors Research in collaboration with JRC - Institute of Environment and Sustainability, Ispra (Varese/Italy) at Final MACPoll Project Meeting, Delft, NL, 13-14 May 2014. Project website: https://www.macpoll.eu/. Best Poster Award webpage: https://www.macpoll.eu/sites/default/files/media/PDF/MACPoll_Final_Conference_2014_poster%20JRC_Spinelle.pdf
• COST Action TD1105 Chair invited to SME Dinner Debate at EU Parliament (2013): How can networking in Science and Technology help SMEs meet the Innovation Union goals? organized by Knowledge 4 Innovation and COST Office - Brussels, 29 January 2013. URL: https://cordis.europa.eu/event/id/133869-dinner-debate-how-can-networking-in-science-and-technology-help-smes-meet-the-innovation-unio/es
• Award Excellence ENEA - E2 2008: Special Mention for Environmental Research including demonstration of a sensor-system for air pollution control based on functionalized carbon nanomaterials engineered for chemical sensing. URL: https://archivi.diariodelweb.it/Allegati/2008-12/20081218-Eccellenze_ENEA_descrizione_progetti_premiati.pdf

Patents

Italian Patent RM 2023 102023000018996 - Mechanical working process of silicon-based powder obtained from photovoltaic panels for making the anode of lithium-ion batteries with high specific capacity. Inventors: Maria Lucia Protopapa, Michele Penza, Emiliano Burresi, Daniela Carbone, Martino Palmisano, Emanuela Pesce, Giovanni Battista Appetecchi, Selene Grilli, Elena Salernitano, Dario Della Sala. Filing Date: 15 September 2023. Intellectual Property: ENEA (100%).

Italian Patent RM 2008 0056 - Conductometric gas sensor based on carbon nanotubes. Inventors: Michele Penza, Riccardo Rossi, Marco Alvisi, Gennaro Cassano, Antonella Rizzo, Maria Assunta Signore, Rossella Giorgi. Filing Date: 15 February 2008. Intellectual Property: ENEA (100%).

Italian Patent RM 2006 A000192 - Optical fiber sensor based on Langmuir-Blodgett single-walled carbon nanotubes thin layers, especially for detection of gaseous hydrogen at cryogenic temperatures, and related sensing device. Inventors: Michele Penza (ENEA), Patrizia Aversa (ENEA), Gennaro Cassano (ENEA), Antonello Cutolo (UNISANNIO - CRICT Scarl), Andrea Cusano (UNISANNIO - CRICT Scarl), Marco Consales (UNISANNIO - CRICT Scarl), Michele Giordano (CNR - Optosmart srl). Filing Date: 5 April 2006. Intellectual Property: ENEA (34%), CNR (22%), Optosmart srl (28%), UNISANNIO - CRICT (16%).