Director of the Babbage Initiative in Technology and Innovation Policy
Academic Division: Manufacturing and Management
Research group: Strategy and Policy
Telephone: +44 1223 3 39735
Email: eo252@eng.cam.ac.uk
Research interests
Dr O’Sullivan’s policy-focused research explores what makes national innovation systems effective at translating new science and engineering ideas into novel technologies and emerging industries. Research projects are designed to support the evidence needs of technology and innovation policymakers, in particular those officials in public research agencies who are responsible for programme design, portfolio management and strategy development. In particular, research projects are distinguished by efforts to more carefully characterize the technologies, application systems and industrial structures involved in the journey from research to economic wealth.
Dr O’Sullivan’s research agenda is shaped in collaboration with policy and research agency partners. Recent policy-related research activities have included studies for the UK Department of Business, Innovation & Skills; the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council; the UK Government Office of Science; the Technology Strategy Board; and the Higher Education Funding Council of England.
Current projects address a range of technology, industry and innovation themes, including: advanced materials, synthetic biology, manufacturing scale-up, additive manufacturing, software engineering, aerospace, biopharma, intermediate R&D institutions, and standards for emerging technologies.
Strategic themes
Manufacturing, design and materials
Effective models and practices for initiating, managing and sustaining long term strategic partners between major R&D intensive firms and leading research universities.
Other positions
Director, Centre for Science, Technology & Innovation Policy (CSTI)