After the Laurea degree in Chemical Engineering obtained at the University of L'Aquila, he spent several years at the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering of the University College London, at the "Laser Centre" of "The Welding Institute" at Cambridge (GB) and at the Ecole Europeenne des Hautes Etudes des Industries Chimiques de Strasbourg of the University of Strasbourg. From this last institution he awarded the European PhD in Chemistry. He taught the courses of Industrial Catalysis, Chemical Reactors and Industrial Chemistry at the Chemical Engineering Faculty of the University of L'Aquila. From February 2000, he was Associate Professor at the Agricultural Faculty of the University of Teramo. He was nominated "Professeur Invité" at the Ecole de Chimie, Polymeres et Materiaux of the University of Strasbourg. From December 2006 to August 2008 he has been IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) Commission member of the Italian Ministry of Environment. Prof. Rapagnà founded in 2006 the Energy and Environmental Research Unit at the University of Teramo. The main aim of the research activities is to promote the use of biomass and agricultural residue as an alternative renewable energy sources to produce electricity, hydrogen and syn-gas.