Tsega Yenew MELESSE obtained his PhD in Industrial Engineering from the University of Salerno in 2022. He currently serves as an RTDA in the Scientific Sector ING-IND/17 – Industrial Mechanical Systems, within the Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering (DIMCM) at the University of Cagliari.

His research activity focuses on digital twin applications, Industry 4.0 solutions, and simulation and modelling for industrial and agri-food systems. He has collaborated with SAP Italia (Rome) and SAP España (Madrid) on digital-twin methodologies for monitoring fruit quality, improving inventory planning, and enhancing visibility across the agri-food supply chain. He has also collaborated with Banco Alimentare, developing data-driven, simulation-based approaches to support food distribution planning and improve the management of perishable products within charitable supply networks.

He has participated in various international conferences and advanced training programmes in industrial engineering, digital transformation, and production systems. He also has university-level teaching experience from his tenure at Bahir Dar University and is currently assigned to teach at UNICA, including the course “Modelling of Industrial Production Systems”, and to co-supervise student research theses. He has authored and co-authored journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters in the fields of digital twins, Industry 4.0, agri-food systems, and food engineering, and has developed substantial expertise in modelling, simulation, and analytical tools for industrial and food-system research.

His contribution to digital twin research was recognised with the 2022 Premium Award for Best Paper from the IET Collaborative Intelligent Manufacturing.

Since July 2024, he has been engaged in the AISAC project, focusing on integrating ICT and Industry 4.0 technologies for the analysis and engineering of complex food systems, particularly the digitalisation of traditional bakery processes.

Before joining UNICA, he held the position of Assistant Professor at Bahir Dar University (Ethiopia) and served as a Research Fellow at the University of Salerno, where he contributed to digital-twin-based approaches for predictive monitoring. Following his appointment at UNICA, he participated in the Young Researchers Mobility Programme (MGR 2025) at University College Dublin (Ireland).