Robert is an associate professor within the Institute of Aerospace Technologies at the University of Malta. He is involved both in teaching and research. In teaching, he delivers study units on aircraft performance, aircraft structures and conceptual design and aircraft powerplants. In research, he has attracted over Euro 4M in research funding on topics of flight data analysis, energy recovery and storage solutions and electrical machine design, for which he acts as Principal Investigator. He has also attracted over Euro 6M in equipment donations. His interests include gas turbine performance, hybrid/electric aircraft, and thermal management for electrical machines, electronics and batteries. His research output includes over 50 publications in journals and peer reviewed conferences, technical and industrial documents. Robert has active US and Japan patents on battery cooling; and on the Flight data analysis in EU. He is an inventor on patent applications on electrical machine windings.

Robert graduated with a DPhil in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford. His DPhil thesis focused on heat transfer in high current density electrical machines, using the YASA axial motor as a case study. He developed novel cooling methods for stator windings of high current density electric machines, thermo-fluid models for electric machines, and new experimental techniques using thin film heat flux gauges for measuring the heat transfer coefficient in oil cooled machines. He holds a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Malta and a Master’s degree in Thermal Power and Propulsion from Cranfield University. Robert has over ten years experience working within an R&D environment in industry and academia on topics of thermal management in electrical machines, design of heat exchangers and air conditioning, and cooling electronics for military and industrial applications. Between 2010 and 2015 he was with the Energy and Power Group at the University of Oxford. Robert is also a warranted aircraft accident investigator and forms part of the Bureau of Air Accident Investigations (BAAI), Malta and has contributed to a number of aircraft accident investigations.

Robert has successfully attracted the following funded research projects, which he currently leads:

• Investigating hybrid Turbo-ElectRic AicrafT Engines (ITERATE)
Project duration: 2021-2023
Funding Body: UM TRAKE fund
Project budget: ca. Euro s00k

• REducing AirCraft Taxiing emissIons through energy recoVery and storagE (REACTIVE)
Project duration: 2021-2023
Funding Body: SINO-MALTA Fund
Project budget: ca. Euro 400k; UM share ca. Euro 200k.
In collaboration with University of Nottingham Ningbo China and Shandong University, China

• Analysis of flight data anomalies within a Weather, Geographical and Engineering context (WAGE)
Project duration: 2021-2024
Funding Body: Technology Development Programme - MCST National R&I funds.
Project budget: ca. Euro 200k; UM share ca. Euro 150k.
In collaboration with industrial partner QuAero

• Buoy Eau Air - Multiple drone systems (BEA)
Project duration: 2020-2022
Funding Body: Technology Development Programme - MCST National R&I funds.
Project budget: ca. Euro 200k; UM share ca. Euro 150k.
In collaboration with industrial partner DiversCode

• Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERSair) for a landing Aircraft
Project duration: 2019 - 2021
Funding Body: Technology Development Programme - MCST National R&I funds.
Project budget: ca. Euro 200k; UM share ca. Euro 150k.
In collaboration with industrial partner MEDAVIA Ltd.

Past projects that have been successfully completed include:

• A Calorimetric detection System for Hypervelocity Impacts (CaDetS)
Project duration: 2018
Funding Body: International Partnership Award Scheme (IPAS2018) - MCST National R&I funds.
Project budget: ca. Euro 5k.
In collaboration with University of Oxford and University of Padova.

• Novel Evaporative Cooled (NEVAC) Battery Technology
Project duration: 2017 - 2020
Funding Body: Technology Development Programme – MCST National R&I funds.
Project budget: ca. Euro 200k; UM share ca. Euro 150k.
In collaboration with industrial partner ABERTAX KEMTRONICS LTD.

• SMART Flight Data Monitoring (SMARTFDM)
Project Duration: 2017 - 2020
Funding body: Technology Development Programme - MCST National R&I funds.
Project budget: ca. Euro 200k; UM share ca. Euro 150k.
In collaboration with industrial partner QuAero LTD.

• SMARTCOPTER
project ended 2018
Funding body: Technology Development Programme - MCST National R&I funds.
Project budget: ca. Euro 200k; UM share ca. Euro 75k.
In collaboration with industrial partner Celier Aviation Malta.