Meet the team

Stephen Fitzpatrick

Director - Remake Value Retention Centre
National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, University of Strathclyde

As Director of the Digital Factory at NMIS, Stephen leads a team of 65 engineers and scientists driving innovation in manufacturing. The team focuses on Digital Manufacturing, Design Engineering, Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing, Robotics, and Metrology Systems. Passionate about the circular economy, Stephen develops solutions to extend product life and optimize circular opportunities using digital technologies. Stephen is the Principal Investigator on £15 million of UKRI-funded projects, including the £10.5 million 'Remake Value Retention Centre' and the £4.5 million 'ReMake' project. Stephen is a Fellow of the IMechE and serves on several strategic advisory and standards committees.

Jushui Lai

Centre & Industry Engagement Manger - Remake Value Retention Centre
National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, University of Strathclyde

With over 14 years of experience at the intersection of R&D, strategic programme leadership, and industry engagement, Jushui brings a unique blend of centre management and stakeholder collaboration to the role of Centre & Industry Engagement Manager. At NMIS, Jushui played a pivotal role in shaping and delivery of the organisation's £10m + per annual strategic programme, aligning research capabilities with national innovation priorities. Her work included co-developing research selection frameworks, overseeing multimillion-pound programmes, and championing continuous improvement in programme governance and stakeholder reporting. Jushui held roles in industry and applied research, where she led innovation projects from concept to production, supported venture growth, and contributed to international technology dissemination.

Professor Brad Wynne

Director - Advanced Forming Research Centre
National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, University of Strathclyde

Brad Wynne, Director of AFRC, previously served as the AFRC Research Director. Before joining the AFRC, he spent over 20 years at the University of Sheffield as a professor and senior lecturer. Brad holds a PhD in Metallurgy from Monash University and specializes in materials science and engineering, focusing on advanced metals for the aerospace and nuclear industries. Brad and his team at AFRC collaborate with companies like Rolls-Royce, Boeing, BAE Systems, and Sheffield Forgemasters.

Jennifer Griffith

Project Lead - Net Zero Skills
National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, University of Strathclyde

Jennifer Griffith is the Project Lead on Net Zero Skills at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), where she leads cross-disciplinary initiatives to translate cutting-edge research into training programmes that support the UK’s transition to Net Zero. With a background in Product Design and experience in the remanufacture of industrial lighting systems, she brings a cross-sector perspective shaped by her work in product development, marketing, and circular business models. She contributed to the development of the BS 8887 standard for the remanufacture of luminaires and now focuses on advancing sustainable manufacturing by designing skills pathways that accelerate industry adoption of circular practices.

Professor Martin Jackson

Professor of Advanced Metals Processing
University of Sheffield

Martin's research focuses on the impact of solid-state processes on microstructural evolution and mechanical properties in light alloys, especially titanium. He aims to revolutionize titanium alloy economics through non-melt consolidation routes like the FFC Process, FAST-forge, and continuous rotary extrusion. With over 80 publications, Martin received a RAEng/EPSRC Fellowship in 2005 and the IOM3 Ti Prize in 2003. He collaborates with industry leaders such as VW, Rolls-Royce, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, TiMET, and DSTL.

Catherine Yokan

Senior R&D Engineer
National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, University of Strathclyde

As a Senior R&D Engineer within NMIS’s Lightweight Manufacturing Centre, Catherine leads industrial research projects in Lightweighting, specializing in polymers and fibre-reinforced composites. Her expertise spans composite design and requirement identification to material testing, process optimization, and end-of-life analysis. With her degrees in physics and production engineering, Catherine brings a unique perspective to the world of materials and manufacturing and has gained extensive experience previously at 3M Company, NASA, and Fraunhofer Institute IFAM. Currently Catherine leads development of the Composites Recycling demonstrator for RVRC, driving value retention of end-of-life composite materials.

Syed Awais Hassan Munawar

Interim digital team lead 
National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, University of Strathclyde

As Interim digital team lead at NMIS, Awais supports manufacturing businesses in adopting emerging technologies such as Digital Twins, XR, and AI. With over a decade of experience in aerospace and research, he brings deep expertise in IT/OT integration, cloud systems, and digital manufacturing. He leads projects that help industry partners unlock value and drive innovation through practical, scalable digital solutions.

Professor Gareth Pierce

Director and founder of SEARCH laboratory
University of Strathclyde

Professor Gareth Pierce leads a multidisciplinary team at Strathclyde University, including engineers, mathematicians, physicists, and bioengineers. He fosters collaborative research with international academic partners and industry sectors, emphasizing a person-centred leadership approach. As Co-Director of the Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering, his work focuses on robotics and autonomous systems for inspection, non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E), and structural health monitoring (SHM). His research integrates robotics, instrumentation, applied optics, ultrasonics, 3D metrology, and machine learning, aligning with Industry 4.0 principles. He excels in translating university research into industry applications and holds several notable roles, including Founder and Director of the SEARCH laboratory.

Pritty Mathew

Design Engineer
National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, University of Strathclyde

Pritty is a Design Engineer at NMIS, working within the Market Acceptance theme of the Design Engineering team. She holds a Master’s degree in Product Design Engineering and is passionate about embedding circular economy principles into product development. During her time at NMIS, Pritty has played a key role in developing practical circular design tools, including the Remanufacturing Canvas and the Design for Remake framework, both now key tools in guiding sustainable design. Pritty is currently involved in further developing and piloting these tools with industry partners. Her work focuses on enabling designers to integrate sustainability and circularity into the design process through practical frameworks and clear, actionable guidance.

Professor Charles MacLeod

Co-Director and founder of SEARCH laboratory
University of Strathclyde

Professor Charles MacLeod is a leading figure in the Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering. He holds the Babcock International Group / Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Sensor-Driven Automated Welding and directs the £24M SEARCH lab. As Course Director of the ARIS MSc, his research focuses on enhancing high-value asset manufacturing through in-process welding and metal additive projects. Charles has co-developed key robotic and ultrasonic technologies now licensed by industry and created an innovative inspection robot for Sellafield. He also leads the ERIC STEM Outreach cell. His expertise spans non-destructive evaluation, sensors, automation, and robotics.

Dr Andreas Reimer

Senior ReMake Theme Lead
National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, University of Strathclyde

Andreas Reimer is a Strategic Program Lead and Manufacturing R&D Engineer at NMIS, specializing in machining optimization, additive manufacturing, and remanufacturing. He holds an EngD from the University of Strathclyde, focusing on high-speed die machining processes. Andreas previously served as a Research Assistant at the University of Magdeburg. As a Chartered Engineer, he leads the ReMake Glasgow project, integrating circular economy principles across industry value chains. Andreas has secured substantial funding, managed diverse teams, and driven advancements in sustainable manufacturing technologies. He collaborates closely with academic staff to translate research into impactful manufacturing solutions.

Professor Lesley Walls

Professor, Management Science
University of Strathclyde

Lesley Walls' research focuses on creating models to support risk-informed decisions under uncertainty, particularly for innovative technologies and engineering systems in socio-technical contexts. She is a Chartered Statistician and a Fellow of the UK Safety and Reliability Society. Lesley develops methodologies for operational decision problems in Maritime, Energy, Aerospace, Defence, Manufacturing, and Financial Services. Her projects, funded by UK research agencies, the European Commission, the Royal Society, Innovate UK, and industry sponsors, span both basic and applied research. She received the 1906 Award from the International Electrotechnical Commission for her contributions to dependability methods.

Professor Matthew Revie

Professor, Management Science
University of Strathclyde

Matthew Revie is the Head of the Department of Management Science at Strathclyde Business School. His research focuses on Risk Analysis and Decision Making under uncertainty, bridging the gap between research and practice. He co-founded the Risk Consortium and the Centre for Informed Decision Analytics (IDeA). Matthew's work is published in top journals, and he supervises a team of researchers and PhD students. He serves on the editorial board of the IMechE Journal of Risk and Reliability and is a Fellow of the Operational Research Society. His expertise includes reliability modelling, expert judgement, and quantitative decision-making in various industries.

Aasiya Thabassum

Data Engineer
National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, University of Strathclyde

As a Data Engineer at NMIS, Aasiya contributes to the design and delivery of cloud-based data platforms that enable cross-institute collaboration and digital manufacturing innovation. Her expertise includes cloud infrastructure, data engineering, and large-scale data integration, with a focus on building scalable, secure, and efficient Lakehouse architectures. With experience in enterprise cloud migration and data governance, she brings a systems-level perspective to solving digital infrastructure challenges. Currently, she supports the development of secure data sharing frameworks and infrastructure strategy for the NMIS Digital Ecosystem.

Dr Euan Barlow

Principle Knowledge Exchange Fellow
University of Strathclyde

Euan Barlow is a Senior Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the University of Strathclyde's Department of Management Science. As Director of Knowledge Exchange and co-Director of the Informed Decision Analytics (IDeA) Centre, he collaborates with engineers and scientists on multi-disciplinary teams. Euan specializes in applying advanced modelling techniques to solve real-world problems, creating practical solutions for industry. His expertise spans discrete-event simulation, multi-objective evolutionary optimization algorithms, Markov decision processes, expert elicitation, and mathematical modelling of acoustics. Euan's work bridges academia and industry, driving innovation through purpose-built tools and collaborative efforts.

Professor Fiona Charnley

Professor of Circular Innovation
University of Exeter

Fiona Charnley is Professor of Circular Innovation and Co-Director of the Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy. She also co-directs the UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Hub at the University of Exeter Business School. Fiona has published extensively on design, innovation, and manufacturing for a circular economy. She leads several government and industry-funded research projects on topics such as digital technology for circular innovation, circular healthcare, fashion, textiles, and business models for value retention. Fiona chairs the EPSRC Manufacturing and Circular Economy Theme Strategic Advisory Board and is a Senior Associate of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Dr Abu-Bakar Halid

Research Fellow
University of Exeter

Jose Hernandez

Continuous Professional Development Manager
National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, University of Strathclyde

Jose develops the strategy and portfolio of CPD products and services for the NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy. He is also a Knowledge Exchange Fellow for the Department of Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management (DMEM) at the University of Strathclyde. With extensive experience in workforce upskilling for both private and public sectors, Jose specializes in engineering design and operational excellence. He leads the delivery of well-established training courses, including the University of Strathclyde’s Lean Six Sigma training programme.

Professor Jill MacBryde

Professor of Innovation and Operations Management
University of Strathclyde

Jill MacBryde is the Associate Principal for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise at the University of Strathclyde and a Professor of Innovation and Operations Management. She co-directs the InterAct Network, part of the UKRI Made Smarter family, which connects economic and social scientists, UK manufacturers, and digital technology providers. Jill's work focuses on performance improvement and innovation in changing environments, collaborating with various organizations, including North Yorkshire Police and the brewing industry. She has held senior leadership roles, such as Director of the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship and Deputy Dean at The York Management School.

Carolina Marin Cadavid

Research Associate
University of Strathclyde

Carolina Marin Cadavid is a seasoned academic with over a decade of experience in teaching, research, and engagement. She specializes in strategy implementation within Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) and the role of stakeholders at the subsidiary level. With a keen interest in the energy industry, Carolina's research bridges academia and industry, translating complex concepts into practical solutions. She has served as a Lecturer, Knowledge Exchange Associate, and Head of the International Business Programme at Universidad de Medellin, Colombia. Currently, she is involved in the InterAct Hub, exploring the impact of digitalization on global manufacturing and the future of work.