Locatelli Giorgio
Full Professor
Giorgio Locatelli is a Full Professor of Project Management at Politecnico di Milano, where he founded and leads the “Complex Projects Business” major within the School of Management. He holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (2006) and a PhD in Engineering Management (cum laude, 2011) from Politecnico di Milano, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (2015).
From 2012 to 2021, Giorgio was based in the UK, beginning his academic career as a lecturer at the University of Lincoln and progressing to Full Professor at the University of Leeds, a global top-100 institution.
His research has attracted over €1.7 million in funding, and since 2020, he has been consistently included in the Stanford–Elsevier list of the world’s top 2% scientists. Giorgio has authored more than 180 peer-reviewed publications indexed by Scopus, amassing over 5,000 citations and achieving an H-index of 42.
In 2023, he received the International Project Management Association Global Research Award. He currently serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Project Management Journal and sits on the editorial boards of several leading journals, including the International Journal of Project Management. Beyond academia, Giorgio regularly consults and delivers training for prominent public and private sector organizations.
Career
2021–present: Full Professor, School of Management, Politecnico di Milano; founder and leader of the “Complex Projects Business” major.
2015–2021: University of Leeds (UK) — progression to Full Professor / Chair in Project Business Strategy (after Lecturer and Associate Professor roles).
2012–2015: University of Lincoln (UK) — Senior Lecturer & Programme Leader (Mechanical Engineering) and module leadership in industrial engineering, sustainable energy systems and project management.
2008–2012: Politecnico di Milano — PhD student / research fellow; research on risk & project management in energy systems (incl. SMRs) plus teaching assistant roles.
Research
Giorgio Locatelli research spans megaprojects and complex products & systems, with emphasis on governance, modularisation, value creation/capture, financing, risk management, benchmarking, and the “dark side” of projects (ethics, uncomfortable issues and integrity).
A second stream addresses the Nuclear Projects and tetZero transition and low-carbon infrastructure, including cogeneration, energy storage, nuclear power/SMRs and decommissioning.
A third stream in engineering management covers the new space economy and decision/valuation approaches such as real options and techno-economic analysis. CV Locatelli Giorgio 09012026
Methodologically, he also applies comparative/configurational approaches (e.g., QCA) to project and energy-infrastructure studies
Selected Publications
Locatelli, G. et al. (2023). “A Manifesto for project management research”, European Management Review, 20(1), 3–17.
Locatelli, G. et al. (2022). “The Dark Side of Projects: Dimensionality, Research Methods and Agenda”, Project Management Journal, 53(4), 367–381.
Locatelli, G., Mariani, G., Sainati, T., Greco, M. (2017). “Corruption in Public projects and Megaprojects: There is an elephant in the room!”, International Journal of Project Management, 35, 252–268.
Locatelli, G., Invernizzi, D.C., Brookes, N. (2017). “Project characteristics and performance: an empirical analysis for large transport infrastructure projects”, Transportation Research Part A, 98, 108–122.
Locatelli, G., Boarin, S., Pellegrino, F., Ricotti, M.E. (2015). “Load following with small modular reactors: a real option analysis”, Energy, 80, 41–54. CV Locatelli Giorgio 09012026
Grants, awards and Honours
Ronald B. Shuman Award (2025) – Academy of Management, Management History Division (best student paper - CoAuthor and Supervisor).
APM Project Management Research Paper of the Year (2024) – APM Conference Education & Research (paper su “megaproject graveyard”).
IPMA Global Research Award (2023) – progetto su pianificazione e delivery di megaprogetti (prospettiva short/long term). CV Locatelli Giorgio 09012026
Best Research Presentation Award (2022) – International Symposium (project leadership e terminazione megaprogetti).
Infrastructure Asset Management Prize (2021) – best paper su digital system information model in LNG plants (co-autore).
ICE James Watt Award (2018) – lead author (paper su SMR e real options).
Community service
Scholarly service (editorial): senior editorial leadership at Project Management Journal; editorial roles across leading journals (incl. International Journal of Project Management, Progress in Nuclear Energy, Construction Management and Economics)
Professional bodies and working groups: IPMA publishing advisory board; roles in nuclear and megaproject communities (e.g., Nuclear PM SIG; World Nuclear Organisation SMR ad hoc group; EU COST action leadership on megaprojects)
Policy & societal impact: contributor/expert for UK parliamentary and government-related outputs on SMRs and major projects; broader outreach
Education & capability building: MOOC development and executive teaching; recurring IAEA (Argonne) teaching on NPP project finance
Doctoral community: supervision/co-supervision of PhD candidates (completed and ongoing) and external examiner activity.
Research projects
NE2AP - Toward net-zero infrastructure: advancing the environmental and economic appraisal of power plants
Project detailsANSELMUS - Advanced Nuclear Safety Evaluation of Liquid Metal Using Systems
Project detailsECOSENS - Economic and Social Considerations for the Future of Nuclear Energy in Society
Project details
Magazine articles
