Bart Merci

After obtaining his PhD in electro-mechanical engineering at Ghent University, on turbulent combustion modelling in CFD simulations non-premixed jet flames (2000), he established his academic career. He is now Senior Full Professor in Combustion and Fire Safety Science and Engineering (FSSE).

Since 2010 Bart Merci is the founding Director of the world-leading International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering on behalf of Ghent University (http://imfse.be). He is also Editor-in-Chief of Fire Safety Journal. He is guest professor at several institutes and has won multiple national and international awards, including the FORUM mid-career award, the SFPE Lucht Lamp of Knowledge, the Arthur B. Guise Medal by the SFPE Foundation, and the IAFSS Howard W. Emmons award. In 2026, he received the prestigious ERC Synergy Grant for the FireSpace project, in collaboration with Centrale Lille Institute, Sorbonne University and the University of Bremen (with a €14 million budget).

His research focuses on modelling in CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations of fire related flows. He is particularly specialized in fluid mechanics aspects related to fire and smoke dynamics. This involves:

• Modelling of turbulence, combustion and radiation in the gas phase;
• Modelling of pyrolysis in the solid phase.