Combining a scientific pedigree that includes a PhD and a six-year Research Fellowship at Imperial College, London, with a passion for writing, John recently refocused his consultancy exclusively on knowledge transfer, exploiting the full richness of a career that’s spanned both the private and public sectors; academia, industry, business support, consultancy and personal development training. Front and center is science outreach, this year the muse has approved of his dedication with “Machine Learning in Forensic Fire Debris Analysis” and “Understanding Water Resources in Latin America and the Caribbean via Isotopic Tracers” among a broad range of diverse topics ready for circulation.
Prior to 2002 and becoming a consultant, his successful materials research science projects on thin films, technical ceramics, and nanomaterials (in realizing Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Photovoltaics and Ceramic Oxygen Generators) led him to be head-hunted initially by the US-based Structured Materials Inc., spearheading the production of oxide materials for use in devices such as non-volatile memory chips, his work then progressed onto semiconductors and Lasers. During this period of his career, his sponsors included British Telecom, The Leverhulme Trust, BP Solar, Normalair Garret Ltd, Ramtron, SONY, Aerospace Display Systems, Raytheon and the Ballistic Missile Defence Organisation. Publications included a Royal Society of Chemistry Feature Article on the chemical bath deposition of ZnS and CdS.
Initially a technology transfer consultant for Beta Technology Ltd before going freelance, the next decade saw him develop brokerage skills that drove 11 European CommissionTransnational Technology Transfer Agreements to completion in a four-year period (everything from the novel use of a failed adhesive to baby nasogastric feeding tubes to a new, construction spin-out). Sponsors at that time included SPIE, Proctor & Gamble, Morphy Richards, Yorkshire Forward and the University of Sheffield. He attracted Hitachi to a project on “Use of Holograms to perform 3D Photolithography” whilst his services included facilitating RoadMapping workshops and both writing and evaluating business plans and funding proposals.
A new decade saw new areas of interest predominately water research, robotics and machine learning bringing sponsors such as Dyson, The United Nations, FiveAI, Oculus VR LLP and HashKey Digital Asset Group to Universities such as Edinburgh and St. Andrews. Invited roles included a Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland (VIBES) judge for Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and a committee member for Scottish Government during the XVth World Water Congress while the activity mix included striking animation technology license deals and supporting Centre of Doctoral Training bids.
A significant pivot in his outreach career came in 2009 when his original thinking was recognized and shortlisted (from over 2000 international entries) in a Royal Society of Chemistry Competition.
John has run RoadMapping and Strategic Planning Workshops for clients in both Russia and the US.