The University of Strathclyde’s Executive Dean of Engineering and Associate Principal, Professor Stephen McArthur, has been appointed to the Board of Scottish Enterprise.
Professor McArthur is an internationally-recognised research leader and expert in artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligent systems for energy applications, who has been working with AI systems for more than 30 years. In his career, he has delivered more than £60 million of collaborative industrial research and innovation programmes.
He has been Faculty Dean since January 2022 and has held earlier positions including Head of Strathclyde’s Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE), Deputy Associate Principal for Research and Innovation and lead academic in the institutional management of the University’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 submission. He is also co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of one of the University’s spinout companies, Bellrock Technology.
Professor McArthur said: "I am delighted and honoured to join the Scottish Enterprise Board. It is critical that we continue to grow the economic success of Scotland. To do this we need to build on our track record of innovation, research and education and scale our successes."
Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Strathclyde, said: “Stephen will bring his extensive knowledge and academic research in electrical power systems and artificial intelligence to this role. His experience of company creation – in the form of Bellrock Technology in his position as Chief Technology Officer – will be enormously valuable for the SE commercialisation agenda.
“Stephen’s appointment is another example of the way in which Strathclyde, through its outstanding people, contributes to the wider innovation and economic growth agenda for Scotland.”
Professor McArthur is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), a Member of the Board of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, the National Grid ESO Engineering Advisory Council and the Scottish Power Energy Networks Independent Net Zero Advisory Council. In 2021, he won the IEEE Richard Harold Kaufmann award for his work in smart energy systems.
Professor McArthur takes up his three-year post with Scottish Enterprise on 1 January 2024. He joins Dr Poonam Malik, Strathclyde’s Head of Investment, as a member of the board and his appointment has been announced by Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy.