The ETSi pays tribute to Professor Antonio Barrero Ripoll by dedicating the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory to him

The Higher Technical School of Engineering (ETSi) at the University of Seville held a solemn ceremony in memory of Professor Antonio Barrero Ripoll , during which the dedication of the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory to him was officially announced . The tribute took place on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the School's Assembly Hall, bringing together academic representatives, colleagues, students, and members of the university community.

The academic ceremony began with a tribute to Professor Barrero, structured in four brief speeches delivered by Javier Dávila Martín, professor at the ETSI and a doctoral student of the honoree; Jaime Domínguez Abascal, a colleague at the Academy and on the University Senate; Antonio Barrero Gil, the honoree's son; and Andrés Sáez Pérez, director of the School, who closed the ceremony. Following the speeches, the group moved to the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory for the unveiling of the commemorative plaque, at which point the space was officially named the Professor Antonio Barrero Ripoll Laboratory.

Professor Barrero Ripoll, who died in Seville at the age of 63 after a serious illness, was a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering since 1995. An aeronautical engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, the city of his birth, he spent much of his career at the University of Seville, where he served as Professor of Fluid Mechanics at the Higher Technical School of Engineering from 1980. His early scientific recognition placed him among the international authorities in Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics.

His research career, focused on the development of liquid atomization processes using mechanical and electrohydrodynamic means, led to significant advances in micro- and nanotechnology. Since 1990, his research group at the University of Seville has studied the interaction of electric fields with liquids to generate fluid currents at micro and nanoscales, as well as their applications in various scientific and industrial fields. Among his most significant contributions is the development of a technique for generating electrified coaxial beams, with diameters ranging from nanometers to hundreds of micrometers, key to the micro- and nano-encapsulation of substances used in nutritional, pharmaceutical, and materials science technologies. This discovery was recognized in 2007 with the King Jaime I Award for New Technologies.

The excellence of his work was recognized with numerous awards, including the Annual Teaching Award from the School of Engineering at the University of California, San Diego (1994), the Javier Benjumea Research Prize (2004), and the aforementioned King Jaime I Prize (2007). Furthermore, his research group continues to be a leader in its field, with numerous patents transferred or licensed to international companies.

Throughout his career, Antonio Barrero held important positions within the Spanish scientific system, including coordinator of the Industrial Projects Area at the National Agency for Evaluation and Foresight (1989–1993), chair of several working groups within the General Knowledge Promotion Program (1991–1996), and member and chair of the Engineering and Architecture Advisory Committee of the National Commission for the Evaluation of Research Activity. He was also a visiting professor at Yale University and the University of California, San Diego.

With this tribute, the University of Seville recognizes the scientific, academic and human legacy of Professor Antonio Barrero Ripoll, and preserves his legacy by permanently linking it to one of the emblematic spaces of research in Fluid Mechanics of the School.