Prof Dr Andraž Legat, Project Coordinator of the ERA Chair FRISSBE, has been appointed Professor in the field of Built Environment at the University of Primorska (UP FAMNIT), a key partner within the FRISSBE ecosystem.

The inaugural lecture took place yesterday at the InnoRenew CoE building in Izola. In his lecture, entitled “Complex corrosion processes,” Prof Legat addressed the growing importance of corrosion in modern construction, particularly in a context where stricter environmental and health requirements coincide with increasing expectations regarding sustainability, safety, and service life of buildings.

The lecture provided an overview of demanding and highly localized corrosion phenomena that often drive material and structural degradation. Special attention was given to localized corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, tribocorrosion, and corrosion processes in concrete. Drawing on more than two decades of research in diverse environments, Prof Legat highlighted key findings and outlined future needs in corrosion research and monitoring.

Prof Legat has long-standing expertise in materials and corrosion science. He previously served as Head of the Metals Laboratory and the Materials Department at ZAG, and later as Director of ZAG from 2005 to 2019. His research focuses on the sustainability of building materials and structures, corrosion measurement and monitoring methods, and the development of new materials. He has led or contributed to numerous national and international projects and has published 83 original scientific articles indexed in the SCI database.

This appointment further strengthens the academic and research connections within the FRISSBE ecosystem and reinforces collaboration between ZAG and the University of Primorska.