Roberto Sabatini

Roberto Sabatini is an Italian-Australian researcher, academic, and innovator specializing in aerospace, defense, and geospatial systems. He is a full professor at Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates, and an honorary professor at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

Since 2019, he has been listed among the top 2% most-cited researchers globally in Aerospace and Aeronautics, as reported by Stanford University and Elsevier.

Education and early career Sabatini's academic credentials include a Laurea in Astronautical Engineering from Sapienza University of Rome, PhDs in Aerospace Engineering (Cranfield University) and Space Geodesy and Surveying (University of Nottingham), an MSc in Navigation Technology, and an Executive MBA.

He joined the Italian Air Force Technical Corps in 1990 and graduated from the School of Air Warfare in 1993. He completed advanced training with the Royal Air Force and obtained the qualifications of Aerosystems Officer, Electronic Warfare Officer, and Weapon Employment Officer.

Academic career Sabatini began his academic career at Cranfield University, where he led projects for the European Union’s Clean Sky programme and co-directed the Green Aircraft Trajectories under ATM Constraints project.

He later joined RMIT University in Melbourne as associate professor of aerospace engineering, becoming full professor in 2015. At RMIT, he was deputy director of the Sir Lawrence Wackett Defence and Aerospace Centre, chaired the Cyber-Physical Systems Research Group, and directed the Intelligent and Autonomous Aerospace Systems Laboratory.

In 2021, he became an honorary professor at RMIT and joined Khalifa University as professor and chair of the Aerospace Engineering Department. At Khalifa, he founded the Aerospace Systems Research Group and the Guidance, Navigation and Control Laboratory. Additionally, he launched the FALCON Innovation Program.

He has authored more than 350 scholarly publications, including over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, nine books, more than 40 book chapters, and numerous conference papers and technical reports.

Industry and professional roles Sabatini has contributed to NATO working groups, the US Joint Tactical Radio System Program, and European Space Agency initiatives.

Awards and honors

Technology Innovation Award for Advanced Air Mobility, Aviation Business Middle East (2024) IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society Technical Panel of the Year (2022 and 2024) Distinguished Leadership Award, Aviation/Aerospace Australia (2021) Scientist of the Year, Australian Defence Industry Awards (2019) Professorial Scholarship Award, Northrop Grumman (2017) Science Award, Sustainable Aviation and Energy Research Society (2016) Arch T. Colwell Merit Award, SAE International (2015) Scientific Achievement Award, NATO Research & Technology Organization (2008)

Sabatini is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN), Fellow of the International Engineering and Technology Institute (IETI), as well as a Fellow and Executive Member of the Institution of Engineers Australia (IEAust).