Overview
Selema studied at Menoufia University in Shebin El-Kom, Egypt, taking a B.Sc. in electrical engineering between September 2011 and July 2016 and an M.Sc. in the same department between December 2016 and December 2018. From September 2016 to September 2020 he was an assistant lecturer in Menoufia University's Department of Electrical Engineering. In October 2020 he moved to Ghent University as a research engineer and PhD student in the Department of Electromechanical, Systems and Metal Engineering, and joined Flanders Make in Lommel in the same month. His PhD thesis was completed in 2024. His most cited publications are Metal Additive Manufacturing for Electrical Machines: Technology Review and Latest Advancements, published in 2022 with 134 citations, and Electrical Machines Winding Technology: Latest Advancements for Transportation Electrification, with 89 citations. Peter Sergeant is his most frequent co-author, with 32 joint publications.
Ahmed Selema is Chief Technology Officer of Drive13, a Ghent University spin-off that develops electric motors for aerospace, space and defence applications. Drive13 BV was registered in Belgium on 30 September 2025 under enterprise number 1028.354.705, with a registered office at Maaltebruggestraat 134 in Ghent and an operating address at Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 131 in Zwijnaarde. Selema has been listed as a director of the company since that date, and the company names him as its managing director. Drive13's product lines cover electric propulsion motors for UAVs and eVTOL platforms, actuator motors for robotics and uncrewed aerial, maritime and submarine vehicles, and pointing motors for optical payloads, antennas and solar arrays in orbit. The technology rests on 3D printing and aluminium windings, insulation coatings applied after winding, and thermal management. The company works with the Ghent University electrical machines research group headed by Peter Sergeant. Alongside the company role, Selema is postdoctoral scientific staff at Ghent University, in the Energy & Systems Lab of the Department of Electromechanical, Systems and Metal Engineering. He completed his PhD there in 2024 with a thesis titled Design of power-dense electrical machines enabled by additive manufacturing. His published work covers electrical machine design, additive manufacturing, magnetic materials and winding technology, and carries 832 citations with an h-index of 16.
Career history
In the news
- Next doors, I’ll be attending Tectonic on 21 October in Ghent, representing Drive13. I am keen to meet industry partners advancing aerospace, defence, and space. Whether we’ve met before or yet to connect, I’d love to exchange insights on technology, entrepreneurship and opportunities for collaboration. Planning to attend? Drop me a message—see you at Wintercircus (in Ghent)!
- Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of receiving the AIG Prize 2026 from Ghent University. It was a proud moment, made even more special by having my family there with me. ❤️ Thank you to everyone who have supported me along the way. I’m deeply grateful.
- A special evening for Drive13 at the IOF Spin-off Ceremony ------------ I was honoured to receive a spin-off award from Prof. Petra De Sutter, Rector of Ghent University, as we celebrated new spin-offs in Zwijnaarde. Our root as a Ghent University spin-off is one of our greatest assets. This collaboration continues to grow, and the support we received from this network helped us take our first steps from research towards the market. It was a pleasure to reconnect with members of UGent TechTransfer, the IOF council and industry.
- Clean Aviation is not just about "research". It is a "race"—and Europe must lead it. ----------------- In our contribution to this discussion, our CTO Ahmed Selema put it simply: “Europe must not become an industrial museum while the future is built elsewhere.” This message echoes the powerful words of Belgium’s Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, who warned against Europe becoming a museum of its industrial achievements while the technologies and industries shaping tomorrow are built elsewhere. Europe is home to world-class
- Materials make—or break—the machine. ----------- In ICEM 2026, Drive13 is proud to contribute to the tutorial: ⚡ “Material Trade-off for Sustainable Electrical Machines in Demanding Applications” Together with Prof. Nick Simpson (University of Bristol) and Prof. Ayman EL-Refaie (Marquette University), our colleague Ahmed Selema ⚡explored how materials directly influence the performance, weight, cost, and manufacturability of electrical machines. ----------- From magnetic materials and windings to permanent magnets, insulation
- What makes an electric machine ready to climb higher, fly farther, and work harder? It starts with the materials inside. ------------------------------- With Madeira’s iconic 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿, this feels like the perfect place to talk about the next generation of electrification. At ICEM 2026 in #Madeira, I’m excited to join Prof. Nick Simpson (University of Bristol) and Prof. Ayman EL-Refaie (Marquette University) for our tutorial: “Material Trade-off for Sustainable Electrical Machines in
- Business is always tasty in Italy. 🇮🇹 We have been cooking up something special in Milano 😉
- The 𝗘-𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗽 2026 — in Switzerland! 🇨🇭 ------------- Last week, the e-motor ecosystem came together in Switzerland — at the home of stators, rotors. It was a great pleasure to reconnect with industry “masters” at the 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗛𝗔𝗨𝗦 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽, (BROCKHAUS Group) hosted by, LCD LaserCut AG SWD AG Stator- und Rotortechnik AxD AG ------------- My key takeaway: Material choices are critical for high-performance and resilient electric motors. But for real impact, manufacturability
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