Francesco Contino has been a professor of engineering since 2012. He started his career at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and then in 2019 at UCLouvain.

His main research interest is the energy transition and how it can fit within the planetary boundaries and the social foundations (the so-called Doughnut). This research interest is translated into several research topics : 

• modeling and experimental characterization of energy storage technologies (e.g. Carnot batteries, e-fuels, metal fuels, hybrid energy systems);
• modeling of transition path for countries and regions (whole-energy system models also including coupling with other models like macroeconomics);
• development of methods for robust design optimization—optimization including uncertainties—and decision-making (e.g. near-optimum analysis, extreme conditions, risk analysis) in energy systems;
• transdisciplinary study of sufficiency measures in the main sectors of the energy transition (mobility and heating).

Francesco Contino hosts a podcast on these topics (Podcast exergie). Initially developed for his students, its listeners now extend to a large audience. Beyond the podcast, he is also very interested in scientific communication—and even popularization—with initiatives such as the "Printemps des Sciences" (science festival for high-school students) or contests such as Bright Club.