[1] A native of Monte Vibiano-Mercatello (Perugia), Cotana obtained a diploma with top honors at the State Technical Institute in 1976, and in 1983 he graduated cum laude in electrical engineering from the University of Rome La Sapienza.

In January 1982, he won a national competition and got a job at ENEL, where he worked at the laboratory Measurements and HV lines and, subsequently, in the engineering role at DCO of Viale Regina Margherita where he dealt with the design of thermal power plants.

Thanks to his efforts, a PhD in Engineering was born based in CRB that from 2013 it became an international multidisciplinary doctorate in energy and sustainable development of which Prof. Cotana is Coordinator and President.

Author of over 300 scientific publications in highly interdisciplinary journals and holder of 20 patents, he is an expert evaluator of national and international projects MIUR with over 20 years of experience.

Among his best known patents: PIPENET is an innovative transportation system for light goods at very high speed, TEAM is the energy Tower Multifunctional Environmental for the Smart City; The SEA is the innovative system of cultivation of micro-algae in ocean and marine spaces for Blue Growth, Albedo Control is finally the project for climate change mitigation.