'How SMMI Engages with both Academics and Businesses in the UK and Globally'
The Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for research and innovation bringing together 350 academics across multiple university faculties. The breadth of research is vast and includes all aspects of the natural ocean environment and human uses of the sea. Examples of areas of expertise include ship design, marine robotics and underwater archaeology.
Two key roles of the Industrial Liaison post are to diversify Southampton University’s research funding and enhance its global distinctiveness in marine and maritime activity. The principle method of achieving these aims is by stimulating greater levels of multi- and inter-disciplinary research between academics, researchers, business, government and other organisations.
Dr Simon Gerrard - Industrial Liaison Manager, Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI)
Simon became Industry Liaison Manager for the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI) in March 2014. Prior to this post, from1988 to1999, Simon was a member of faculty in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia. His research focused on environmental risk management. Formerly an advisor to the World Health Organisation on Risk Communication, Simon established the European Risk Communication Network – a place where academics and practitioners could meet to discuss risk communication.
He ran the East Anglian Business Environment Club, another academic / industry network. In 1999 he became the School’s first Business Innovation Manager responsible for creating an outreach and commercialisation platform. In 2002 he established the Community Carbon Reduction (CRed) programme, the first of its kind in the UK. This led to the creation of a university spin-out carbon management consultancy which, amongst other things, operated a range of low carbon technology investment funds.
