Terry Wilkins BSc, PhD

Professor Terry Wilkins has 32 years industrial and 9 years academic leadership experience (GE, ICI and University of Leeds), as an innovator engineering products and processes, exploiting emergent technologies in the medical device, biotechnology, nanotechnology, chemical and advanced materials industries. His first successful commercial product was a nanoparticle radioimmunoassay for metabolic diseases launched in 1982 yielding many € billions of sales (92% exported globally outside the UK).
The invention lives on as a blood test for early detection of prostate cancer. High socioeconomic impact has been maintained throughout his career with further innovations in medical devices, DNA fingerprinting, nanotitanium dioxide manufacturing, and catalysts. His work is recognised with 8 prizes, awards and a medal for novel engineering science and commercial exploitation.
He is a pioneer in 2 new engineering disciplines: process analytical technology (PAT) and nanomanufacturing . He became Europe’s first professor of Nanomanufacturing on joining Leeds University in 2005 where his personal research ranges over: a) nanomedicine, b) industrial nanomaterials, c) nanoelectronics d) EHS risks of engineered nanoparticles and e) management science and policy making for emergent technology manufacturing innovation.
He has held high-level expert advisory positions (inc. committee chair) for the UK government since 1992 (BIS, DTI) including the Minister of Science & Universities (since 2011) and the European Commission (since 1994) developing innovation strategies and programs in nanotechnology, advanced materials, bioprocessing & production technologies (NMBP). Substantial Impacts include Europe matching US investment and competivity in nanotechnology 2010-2014.
The EC's NMP Expert Advisory Group he has chaired (2007- 2014) developed 6 orientation papers on best in practice in innovation to underpin the €6.7 billion Key Enabling Technologies R&I program in Horizon 2020 (2014-20).