UK’s Chief Scientist links up with SMART

Professor Brian Collins the then Chief Scientific Advisor for two major United Kingdom Government agencies, The Department of Transport and The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, was the National SMART Infrastructure Research Summit’s well received International Keynote Speaker.

During his visit Professor Collins had a busy schedule meeting researchers and decision makers in Wollongong, Brisbane, Sydney, and Canberra. His expertise in infrastructure planning, evaluation, and management, was eagerly welcomed and a number of positive dialogues have continued since his departure back to the UK.

In response Professor Collins has been keen to extend his new found contacts in Australia to other UK based researchers and decision makers, fostering collaboration between institutions and people.

To ensure this activity is supported and encouraged SMART has announced that Professor Collins has been appointed a Visiting Professor to the SMART Infrastructure Facility.

Professor Collins is now the Director of the Centre of Engineering Policy at University College London, from where he will participate in and support an international network of academics interested and active in research in infrastructure engineering and modernisation.

Professor Collins received a doctorate in Astrophysics from Oxford and was Professor of Information Systems at Cranfield University. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and was conferred the honour by Her Majesty the Queen of election to Companion of the Bath in the 2011 New Years Honours List.