Professor Adam Sobey has been appointed to lead The Lloyd’s Register Foundation-Alan Turing Institute’s growing programme in Data-Centric Engineering (DCE).
Based on findings from Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s Foresight Review on Big Data in 2015, the Data Centric Engineering Programme was established at The Alan Turing Institute. Since its inception, the programme championed international research in data and digital systems, and has helped bring together global thought leaders to ensure advances in mathematics, computer science and big data can be applied to make the world a safer place.
As Programme Director, Professor Sobey will be responsible for leading the research programme, building on its core challenges, and working with industry to deploy data-centric engineering techniques to real-world problems.
Professor Sobey is a Professor in the Maritime Engineering group at the University of Southampton, and previously Group Lead for Marine and Maritime in the DCE programme of The Alan Turing Institute. He also held a Non-Executive Director role at Theyr Ltd, a leading Voyage Optimisation Software and MetOcean provider. Adam is also a former Lloyd’s Register Foundation funded PhD student, who has gone on to deliver innovative safety solutions in the maritime industry and beyond.
Since 2017, the DCE programme has made a strong scientific impact with notable projects including the 3D printed bridge in Amsterdam, and Project Odysseus, papers in 400 scientific publications, delivering and supporting more than 100 projects, and securing several international agreements, from Finland to Australia.
Professor Sobey, who is understood to be the world’s first Professor of Data-Centric Engineering, at University of Southampton, says, “I am delighted to join the Lloyd’s Register Foundation-Turing team as Programme Director, and I look forward to growing its leading international programme on data-centric engineering. The field of data-centric engineering has made rapid progress, enabling us to improve our ability to understand and improve the safety of engineered systems, and transforming the way new infrastructure projects, and complex machinery is designed and delivered. I look forward to working with colleagues and our network of partners to accelerate the Turing’s scientific and real-world impact in this area.”
Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s Chief Executive, Ruth Boumphrey, says: “It’s fantastic that someone with Adam’s skills and expertise can lead the Data-centric Engineering programme into this new ambitious phase in its history. I have confidence that Adam is perfectly suited to accelerate the translation of Data-Centric Engineering into real world impact, and improve the safety of critical infrastructure around the world.”
The Alan Turing Institute’s Chief Scientist, Professor Mark Girolami, says, “The Turing’s DCE programme has successfully established data-centric engineering as a new academic discipline, built capacity within it and delivered outstanding impact. This has been achieved as a direct result of Turing’s partnership with Lloyd’s Register Foundation. With Adam at the helm, we look forward to an exciting new phase for the programme supporting our Institute’s new strategy, and in line with key national priorities.”
