Dr Gianmario Rinaldi (he/him)

Dr Gianmario Rinaldi is a Lecturer in Control of Energy Systems and Clean Powertrains (Education and Research) in the Department of Engineering at the University of Exeter. 

His interest sits within control engineering, energy engineering, and clean energy technologies, with a strong expertise in energy modelling, conversion, monitoring, and control. These research areas are essential to improve energy efficiency, integrate low-carbon technologies, and support decarbonisation, while being closely aligned with national and international research and industrial strategies for cleaner and more sustainable energy and transport systems.

Specifically, his research develops advanced modelling, estimation, control, and optimisation methods for zero-emission vehicles and powertrains, clean energy systems, energy networks, microgrids, power converters, and autonomous vehicles.

At Exeter, he is part of the ⁠Autonomy, Decision and Control Research Group and the ⁠Centre for Future Clean Mobility.

In education, he is Programme Developer and Programme Lead for the BEng/MEng Robotics and Artificial Intelligence programmes and Academic Lead for the Formula Student project. He is also leading modules focussed on zero-emission vehicles, control, and autonomy.

Dr Rinaldi received a BEng in Energy Engineering in 2014 , an MSc in Electrical Engineering in 2016, and a PhD in Control Systems Engineering in 2020, all from the University of Pavia, Italy. He then worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Exeter from 2019 to 2021 on a NERC-funded project. 

Grants:

• Royal Society Research Grant, Multi-Energy Clean Maritime Powertrains: Advanced Estimation, Monitoring and Safety, Principal Investigator,  2026-2027.
• IEEE Control Systems Society (IEEE-CSS) Outreach Fund, PhD Summer School: Sliding Mode Towards a Changing World, Principal Investigator, 2026. 
• GW4 Generator Fund Maritime Advancements through Research and Innovation in Powertrains and Power Systems (MARINPOWER), Principal Investigator, 2025-2026.

• Innovate UK Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 2 (CMDC2), ZERO - Zero Emission Research and Offshore Service Vessel, (Co-Investigator). 2023
• Innovate UK Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 2 (CMDC2) 2023, Demonstrator for scalable 1MW+ Zero Emission battery-hydrogen hybrid propulsion system, (Co-Investigator). 2023.
• EMPS Global Partnerships Development Funding Scheme with University of Pavia (Italy), (Principal Investigator). 2022.
• Innovate UK Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 1 (CMDC1), Twin motor, zero emission powertrain for commercial workboats, (Co-Investigator). 2021.
• Innovate UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), Phase 2: with Ecomar-Electric Outboards, (Co-Investigator), 2021.
• UKRI-Natural Environment Research Council (NERC): Combining Autonomous Observations and Models for Predicting and Understanding Shelf Seas, (Postdoctoral Research Fellow). 2019-2021.

PhD Students

• Jichao Ran- Advanced Control of Wave-Propelled Platforms

Websites:

• Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-sWPtrsAAAAJ&hl
• ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gianmario-Rinaldi
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianmario-rinaldi-5aaaa0b6/