Keynotes and Invited

Keynotes

Lionel GAILLARD
Head of the ESA Space Mechanisms team, European Space Agency, The Netherlands

Tribological challenges for European space exploration:
A journey summary from past to actual and future solutions

Lionel Gaillard holds a Mechanical engineering degree and a Master's in Quality Management from ENSAM (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers). Commencing his career as a mechanisms engineer at Thales Alenia Space in 1994, Lionel transitioned to the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2001, driven by a resolute passion for Tribology, R&D and the advancement of European space projects.

Elevated to the role of “Head of ESA's Mechanisms section” in 2014, Lionel leads a team of 23 engineers from 12 different nationalities. Among his responsibilities, he is also managing the European Space Tribology Laboratory (ESTL) in the UK, steering the development of unique tribological testing facilities and state-of-the-art lubricants tailored for space applications.

Marco SCUDERI
Associate Professor, University La Sapienza, Italy

How an earthquake is born?
A laboratory perspective on the stability of frictional sliding

Marco Scuderi is an Associate Professor of Geophysics at the university La Sapienza (Rome) since 2019. After a Master in Geophysical Exploration at the University of Perugia, in 2009 he moved to the Pennsylvania State University (USA) for his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Chris Marone. There, he got interested in experimental geophysics applied to the hydro-mechanical coupling within fault zones.

Since 2019, at La Sapienza, together with his team, they have built two new prototype deformation apparatuses for rock mechanics and earthquake physics. Recently, thanks to his ERC-HYQUAKE, he is developing an integrated approach that aims at bringing lab experiments to the next level. They combine mechanical deformation experiments with lab seismology/geodesy to build and test theoretical models (DEM, BEM) and machine learning algorithms to unveil the physical laws that govern stable vs. unstable frictional slip from the nanoscale of asperity contacts to the macroscale of natural fault zones.

Invited speakers

Stefanie HANKE
Professor, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

Potentials and Challenges in using AI for Understanding and Predicting Sliding Wear Mechanisms

Anna IGUAL MUÑOZ
Senior Scientist, Tribology and Interfacial Chemistry Group, EPFL, Switzerland

Tribocorrosion Approach to Wear of Implants

Guillermo MORALES-ESPEJEL
Principal Scientist, SKF Research & Technology Development, The Netherlands
Chair Professor, SKF-INSA de Lyon, France 

Rolling Bearing Lubrication with Oil/Refrigerant Mixtures: a Review with Contributions