A/ProfIlaria Barletta

Associate Professor Ilaria Barletta is the Cisco Research Chair in Sustainable Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

She leads applied, industry-connected research that converts technical insight into decision-ready evidence, shaping policy, guiding investment choices, and accelerating real-world change. Working through Innovation Central Sydney, Ilaria builds collaborations that move beyond reports to delivery, helping partners adopt solutions that are credible, measurable and scalable.

Her research focuses on sustainable manufacturing and energy systems, energy transition and energy productivity. She is currently focussed on sustainable data centres and adaptive governance. 

Ilaria brings a strong policy foundation to her academic leadership, including previous work as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), where she developed first-hand understanding of how markets, regulation and system reliability influence outcomes.

A committed mentor and ecosystem builder, she actively invests in early- and mid-career talent, creating pathways for researchers to translate expertise into impact.