Domenico Borrelli
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, Sòphia High Tech S.r.l.
Domenico Borrelli is Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Sòphia High Tech, where he leads the company's engineering vision, R&D strategy, and technology roadmap. Since joining as CTO in 2018, he has built and directed a multidisciplinary team responsible for some of the company's most ambitious programs — from space propulsion systems and scientific satellite payloads to next-generation additive manufacturing processes.
Borrelli holds a Master's degree in Aerospace and Astronautical Engineering — awarded with honors (110/110 cum laude) — from the University of Naples Federico II, where he is also completing a Ph.D. in Technologies and Manufacturing Systems. His doctoral research focuses on Selective Laser Melting of thin-walled Inconel 718 propulsion components and the optimization of surface quality through chemical polishing techniques — work directly applied to Sòphia's most advanced space hardware.
Before co-founding Sòphia, he served as Design and Stress Engineer in the aerospace sector and subsequently as CAE NVH Powertrain Engineer at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in Pomigliano d'Arco, where he developed deep expertise in finite element modeling, vibro-acoustic simulation, and the structural behavior of complex mechanical systems.
At Sòphia, Borrelli oversees the full technical lifecycle of the company's most complex programs. These include the ZIRÈ satellite scientific payload for low-energy gamma particle detection — developed in collaboration with the Gran Sasso Science Institute, INFN, and Thales Alenia Space — and the Crystal Eye Cherenkov telescope, a scientific instrument for gamma particle detection currently under development for Avio S.p.a. He also leads the technical execution of the Multi-Purpose Green Engine (MPGE) program with Avio and ASI, focused on regenerative combustion chambers realized entirely through additive manufacturing.
A prolific researcher, Borrelli is the author of more than fifteen peer-reviewed scientific publications in international journals and conferences, covering laser powder bed fusion, cold spray metallization, metal matrix composites for rocket engine thrust chambers, and shape memory alloy-based systems. He holds two registered design patents, and has participated in the INNOVIT Silicon Valley program, deepening Sòphia's engagement with the global deep-tech investment ecosystem.