Denis Loveridge

Denis Loveridge (CEng, FEI, MPhil, BSc) joined PREST (now the MIoIR) in 1991 after 44 years in industry, and became an Honorary Visiting Professor shortly afterwards.

Denis' workon technology choice, technology assessment and foresight programmes, led to hisdeep involvement in the first UK Technology Foresight programme, from 1992 through toits completionin 1995. For the ECs DGXIIIhe led the development of a plan for teaching technology assessment in the EU. In 1996he led a team for DGXII that set out how the EC could makewider use of foresight programmes. In 1999Denis created a course on foresight that for 10 years became well known internationally.He has been a consulted by companies, UN organisations and governments, in Europe and elsewhere, concerning the conduct of foresight programmes and on scenario planning.

At Pilkington,Denis was involved for 20 years in corporate venturing and long-term corporate development working with Main Board Directors and Divisional Managing Directors. For 14 yearshe was a Principal Scientist and Project Co-ordinator at the British Coal Utilisation Research Association conducting basic and process research in fuel utilization.His experience before that was in the engineering and chemical industries.Denis has hands-on experience and insight into most aspects of industrial research, business and corporate venturingwith world firsts in process development, instrumentation and in the co-ordination of internationalcollaborative programmes for the reduction of air pollution from boiler plant. Corporate venturing led tocreation of a new business based on glass reinforced cement; creation of a VLSI design house (co-founder) andthe creation of the West Lancashire Enterprise Trust (founder and a Director). Corporate venturing included the conduct successful licensing oftechnology tothe worlds biggest micro-electronics companies, through to small companies involved in encryption technology and mechanical engineering machinery.

Denis' business experienceincludes the preparation of business investment prospectuses and all that involves; the use of venture capital including the management and strategic use of intellectual property for business growth and advantage.

Since the late 1970s his research interests have been aligned to what are currently becoming known as grand challenges (complex situations) that have profound influence on business and business creation in their many dimensions. Grand challenges are characterized through their multiple themes developing in society; science and technology; economics; ecology; politics; and human values/norms with their inter-relationships in emerging forms of society. Current examplesinclude the evolution, since the 1970s, of a knowledge society; sustainability and sustainable development; and the converging technologies (nanotechnology, biotechnology, IT, cognitive science and related matters) agenda (see also my personal page)