Dr. Zhi Cao has spent the past 14 years conducting applied research and delivering innovative solutions to industry. His journey began with a research master’s degree funded by Mergon International in Castlepollard, where he focused on developing lightweight, cost-effective polymer air ducts for the automotive sector.

Through this work, Dr. Cao successfully developed seven novel polymer composites. One of his standout achievements was the creation of a polymer foam that achieved a 21% reduction in density and a 20.2% decrease in production cost—demonstrating both performance and economic value.

He is currently serving as a Research Hub Officer at the Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone campus.