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Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, University of Bristol

Professor Taylor, who was appointed as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise in July 2020, is responsible for shaping Bristol’s research and enterprise activity, ensuring it meets the University’s strategic ambition to be a world-leading research-intensive university making a positive contribution to the key global challenges facing society. He is also responsible for engaging with a wide range of organisations - from funders to corporates and charities - regionally, nationally and internationally, and enhancing an already high-performing research environment at Bristol. Professor Taylor was appointed as a sub-panel member for REF2021.

Professor Taylor is an internationally leading researcher and industrial expert in energy systems, who has worked in industry and academia for over 25 years. He joined Newcastle University in 2013 as Dean and Director of the multidisciplinary Institute for Sustainability, and later, became the Head of the School of Engineering. He led the University’s involvement in Newcastle Helix, a city centre quarter which brings together hundreds of researchers, businesses, and progressive homeowners living and working side-by-side and housing four national research centres.

Professor Taylor’s work in industry includes time at GEC Alstom, EPS (UK), Teradyne and Senergy Econnect, where among many achievements he developed diagnostic software for the automotive and aerospace sectors and designed the grid connection for the UK’s first commercial offshore wind farm.

Professor Taylor leads the EPSRC Supergen Energy Networks Hub, which brings together industrial and academic partners (including five UK universities) with other energy network stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of the interactions and interdependencies of energy networks, and researches the challenges of technology, policy, data, markets and risk for energy networks.

In addition to being a Visiting Professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Professor Taylor is also a non-executive director of Northern Powergrid and a member of the Customer Engagement Group for Wales & West Utilities. Professor Taylor also serves on the Board of Trustees of the national fuel poverty charity, National Energy Action (NEA).

During 2022, Professor Taylor was appointed by Sir Patrick Vallance to the Government’s Net Zero Innovation Board.

Experience

  • –present
    Siemens Professor of Energy Systems , Newcastle University
  • 2020–present
    Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, University of Bristol

Education

  • 2001 
    Manchester University, Engineering Doctorate