University of Belgrade - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Their core work

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Belgrade specializes in structural analysis, turbine engineering, and materials science for heavy industry. Their practical work spans fossil power plant flexibility, maritime transport design, refractory materials for steelmaking, and biomass logistics. They bring strong computational and experimental capabilities in mechanical integrity assessment, particularly for components operating under extreme thermal and mechanical loads.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2016–2018), Belgrade's focus was squarely on turbine technologies — blade dynamics, flutter analysis, sealing, and lifecycle management for fossil power plants adapting to flexible energy markets. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward materials science: structural integrity of additively manufactured components (SIRAMM) and refractory optimization for low-carbon steelmaking (RE-FRACTURE2). This trajectory shows a move from traditional energy equipment engineering toward advanced manufacturing materials and industrial decarbonization.

They are pivoting from fossil energy infrastructure toward materials engineering for industrial decarbonization — expect future work in sustainable steel, additive manufacturing reliability, and high-temperature material optimization.

How they like to work

Belgrade FME operates exclusively as a consortium participant — they have not coordinated any H2020 project, which is typical for Western Balkan universities entering EU frameworks. With 71 unique partners across 17 countries from just 5 projects, they join large, diverse consortia (averaging 14+ partners per project) rather than leading small focused teams. This makes them a flexible, low-risk addition to a consortium: experienced enough to deliver within large partnerships, without competing for coordination roles.

Despite only 5 projects, they have built a remarkably wide network of 71 partners across 17 countries, indicating participation in large pan-European consortia spanning Western and Eastern Europe.

What sets them apart

As Serbia's leading mechanical engineering faculty, they offer strong computational and experimental capabilities in structural mechanics and materials at significantly lower cost than Western European counterparts. Their combination of turbine expertise and emerging additive manufacturing / refractory materials knowledge is unusual for the Western Balkans region. For consortium builders, they fulfill Widening participation requirements while delivering genuine technical depth in mechanical integrity assessment.

Highlights from their portfolio

• RE-FRACTURE2
  Their largest H2020 grant (EUR 435,651) and most recent project, targeting refractory design for low-carbon steelmaking — signals their strategic direction toward industrial sustainability.
• FLEXTURBINE
  Their entry into H2020 with a strong energy-sector project on turbine flexibility, demonstrating core competence in rotating machinery and component lifecycle analysis.
• SIRAMM
  A Widening/Twinning project focused on additive manufacturing reliability — shows deliberate capacity building in an emerging technology area.