TEAM

Prof. Ernesto Salzano

ERA Chair Holder

Ernesto verze 2

Prof. Ernesto Salzano brings top-level expertise in industrial safety to the CESAR project, where he supports research excellence, international collaboration, and the strategic development of cutting-edge safety science.

Academic and Professional Roles

Full Professor of Chemical Plant Design at the University of Bologna (UniBo)
Director of Chemical Engineering Studies at UniBo
Member of the PhD board in Future Earth, Climate Change and Societal Challenges at UniBo
Italian Delegate to the European Federation of Chemical Engineering – Working Party on Electrostatics
Associate Researcher at the Italian National Research Council (CNR)
Editor of Process Safety and Environmental Protection and the Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries

Research Focus

His research activities focus on:

Prediction, prevention, and mitigation of fire and explosion scenarios, including jet fires, pool fires, flash fires, solid and multiphase fires; vapor cloud explosions, source-point explosions, and BLEVE events
Experimental and numerical analysis of explosions involving gases, liquids, dusts, and hybrid mixtures (gas-liquid-dust) in industrial systems
Development and validation of detailed combustion kinetics models, with a focus on innovative fuels (hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, LNG) for sustainable large-scale energy production, especially in maritime applications
Process safety, including thermal stability of chemicals and polymers, and runaway reactions
Industrial risk assessment, including external hazard integration such as NaTech (Natural hazard-triggered Technological accidents), domino effects, security risks, and transportation of hazardous substances

Project Leadership

Prof. Salzano has served as project leader or key expert in numerous international and national research projects, including EU Horizon, Interreg, and national initiatives. Recent projects include:

SuperLNG
SuperAlfuel
ELVhys

Ing. Vojtěch Jankůj, Ph.D.

Project Coordinator

Vojta Foto

Vojtěch Jankůj coordinates the CESAR Centre and project, providing strategic guidance, supporting the ERA Chair, building research teams, and ensuring scientific coordination.

Research Focus

His main research interests include:

Fire and explosion protection, with emphasis on hybrid mixtures and ignition mechanisms
Safety of alternative energy sources, particularly hydrogen safety in energy systems and smart cities
Experimental assessment of explosion parameters
Experimental and large-scale testing of hazardous phenomena
International cooperation aimed at enhancing the global visibility and scientific competitiveness of the Faculty of Safety Engineering (FSE) in the field of explosion safety
Initiating and leading research in hydrogen safety and hybrid mixtures at FSE

Teaching

Explosion Prevention – A course focused on hazardous atmospheres, risk identification, and prevention of explosions and fires in technological processes

Scientific and Project Activities

Vojtěch Jankůj is the author of peer-reviewed publications in the field of safety research. He is actively involved in national and institutional R&D projects, including: