Francesco Fedi is an Italian scientist active in the field of electromagnetic waves propagation, radiometeorology and radio communications.
He has the merit of having developed a method for the design of terrestrial and Earth-satellite radio communications at frequencies higher than 10 GHz used since 1982 in all parts of the world following the decisions of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
Among the various activities: Scientific Director of Fondazione Ugo Bordoni, President of COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) and Honorary Member of Academia Europaea.

BIOGRAPHY
Francesco Fedi was born in Rome, Italy, on 25 July 1939. After his diploma of "Maturita' Classica" at the end of his studies in the "Humanities", he enrolled in the Engineering Faculty of the University "La Sapienza" of Rome where he received the Dr. Ing. degree "summa cum laude" in Electronic Engineering in 1963.
In the same year he joined the Contraves Italiana R e D Department where he was involved in the design of advanced radar systems. In 1965 he was awarded a Fulbrigth scholarship, received the Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and spent one year as part-time assistant Professor at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.

THE UGO BORDONI FOUNDATION
In 1967 he joined the "Ugo Bordoni" Foundation in Rome, one of the most important Italian research centers in information and communication technology, as Head of the Antennas and Propagation Group.
In 1976 he was appointed Head of the Radiocommunications Division dealing with fixed and mobile terrestrial and satellite communication systems. From 1976 to 1979 he was also associated with the managerial Staff of the research project on Air Traffic Control, sponsored by the National Research Council.
From1980 to 2000 he is also Professor of "Radio Spectrum Utilization" at the Advanced Postgraduate University of Rome, Professor of "Radiocommunications" at the University of Bologna and Professor of "Radiopropagation" at the University of Rome "La Sapienza".
In 1985 he was nominated Director of Fondazione "Ugo Bordoni" to coordinate research activities in radiocommunications, optical communications, information security, networks, multimedia communications and evolution of telecommunication systems.
From 1985 to 1990 he was also appointed Coordinator of the radio propagation experiments with the OLYMPUS and ITALSAT satellites.
Member of the Higher Committee of Telecommunications since 1980, in 1992 presided over the Commission for the introduction of television from satellite in Italy.
In 1993 he was appointed member of the national commission for radio spectrum utilization and of the committee for the protection from electromagnetic radiation at radio frequencies. In the same year he was the author of the "radar" chapter of the Mondadori Enciclopedia.
In 1992 he was nominated member of the Board of Directors of the Fondazione Bordoni and confirmed in this position in 1997.
In 2000 he left the Fondazione and was involved in the coordination of research activities at the European level on behalf of the Italian Ministry of Research and Education.

Director of the Ugo Bordoni Foundation

Prof. Fedi illustrates the Ugo Bordoni Foundation to the Minister of Research

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
Prof. Fedi is the author or co-author of more than 170 scientific papers on radiopropagation, radiometeorology and communication systems and has been involved in several International Conferences as member of their Scientific Committees or as an invited speaker.
In 1973 the International Telecommunication Union recommended the propagation curves based on his theoretical and experimental results for the planning of UHF broadcasting systems in the Mediterranean area.
In 1980 he received the "Bonazzi" prize for his research activities on attenuation due to rain and in 1981 the "Marconi2 prize for his studies on rain cross-polarization.
In 1982 the International Telecommunications Union adopted and recommended his method for the design of terrestrial and satellite radiocommunications systems at frequencies higher than 10 GHz worldwide.
In 1987 he organized in Rome and chaired the "European Microwave Conference".
In 1989 he was awarded the "Diplome d'honneur" from the International Radio Consultative Committee "for his outstanding contributions to the progress of telecommunications".

Prof. Fedi and Prof. Paraboni receive the Marconi Prize

Prof. Fedi receives the "Diplome d'honneur" of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 1989

PARTICIPATION IN EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL BODIES
Prof. Fedi has been particularly active in international and European normative, standardization and research bodies and organizations. He started his activities in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 1970.
In 1976 he was appointed Chairman of the Working Party on "Radiometeorology" of the International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR), in 1985 Vice-Chairman of the CCIR Study Group on "Radiopropagation in non-ionized media" and in 1993 Vice-Chairman of the Study Group on "Radiowave propagation" of the Radiocommunication Sector of the ITU.
In 1997 during the World Radiocommunication Assembly he was awarded the "Diplome de reconnaissance" "en temoignage de la contribution apportee aux travaux de l'UIT".
In the International Union of Radio Science (URSI) he was active since the early 70's.
In 1981 he was elected Vice-Chairman and in 1984 Chairman of the URSI Commission on "Wave Propagation and Remote Sensing".
In 1990 he was appointed Member of the URSI Scientific Committee on Telecommunications and in the same year Vice-Chairman of the Italian URSI Delegation.

COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology)
In the framework of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Prof Fedi participated since the very beginning in the preparatory work for the launching of the first COST Actions.
From 1971 to 1978 he was elected Chairman of the COST Action 25/4 on "The Influence of Atmospheric Conditions on Electromagnetic Wave Propagation at Frequencies above 10 GHz" and from 1978 to 1985 Chairman of the COST Action 205 on "The Influence of the Atmosphere on Radiopropagation on Satellite-Earth Paths at Frequencies above 10 GHz".
In 1985 he was appointed member of the COST Technical Committee "Telecommunications", in 1992 he organized in Rome and chaired the Symposium on "New Frontiers for the European COST in Telecommunications".
In February 2004, with the unanimous support of the representatives of the 35 COST Member States, he was elected President of the COST Committee of Senior Officials (CSO), the highest strategic decision making body of COST. It was the first time that Italy - one of the founders of the COST cooperation, a very active participant in COST activities and a convinced supporter of the importance of COST in the European Research and Innovation Area - assumed the Presidency of this Committee.
In March 2007, following the encouragement of many delegations, his candidature as President was presented again and he was re-elected President of the COST Committee of Senior Officials for a second three - year term.
Under his Presidency the COST CSO introduced a series of important reforms and, as a result, COST considerably reinforced its visibility and its role as a unique instrument of the European Research and Innovation Area.
During the COST Ministerial Conference of June 2010 it was openly recognized how COST had improved during the six year Italian Presidency which somebody called the "renaissance" of COST. From 180 COST Actions in 2003 to the more than 280 Actions in 2010.
From the 70 Institutions from non-COST countries participating in COST Actions to the more than 350 Institutions in 2010.
From a contribution to COST of 50-80 MEuro for the four years of FP6 to the contribution of 250 MEuro for the seven years of FP7.
From 2004 when somebody wanted to give "an honourable funeral" to COST to the situation in 2010 when nobody could dispute that COST was one of the most effective instrument of the European Research Area.
At the end of his COST CSO Presidency, in June 2010 Prof Fedi was elected President of the COST Office Association, a non-profit International Association under the Belgian law, founded to give a legal personality to COST.

Prof. Fedi presents COST to the European Parliament

The COST Day

Prof. Fedi and the COST tree in the botanic garden of Tallin in Estonia