Benjamin Cerfontaine, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Civil, Maritime and Environmental Engineering, University of Southampton, UK

Dr. Benjamin Cerfontaine is an Associate Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Southampton whose research focuses on developing innovative geotechnical solutions for offshore renewable energy infrastructure. His expertise spans offshore geotechnics, numerical and physical modelling, constitutive modelling of geomaterials under cyclic loading, and advanced simulation techniques including finite element, discrete element (DEM), and centrifuge modelling. His work primarily addresses the design and performance of offshore foundations and anchoring systems for wind, tidal, and wave energy applications, with particular emphasis on sustainable foundation technologies such as suction caissons, screw piles, and shared anchors. Before joining Southampton, he was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellow at the University of Dundee and earned his PhD from the University of Liège, Belgium, in 2014. He has received several prestigious recognitions, including the Geotechnical Research Medal and the Bright Spark Lecture Award, reflecting his significant contributions to geotechnical engineering and offshore renewable energy research.