BAL 2024 Dean's Distinguished Researcher Seminar Series - Professor Bradley Williams

Professor Bradley Williams works principally in the area of sustainable chemistry. He is passionate about translating research efforts into value and benefits for society and the environment. As a senior academic in South Africa, he worked with Sasol, a multinational petrochemical company, in two world-first commercialisations, at the 100,000 tons per annum scale, with investments of over US$500 million, delivering process improvements and reducing negative environmental impacts.

In 2011, he moved to New Zealand to lead a commercial research endeavour, focussing on the high value food sector in New Zealand. His work there led to over 200 industry-focussed projects, two spin-out companies and six new product lines, while leading an internal capability uplift. His role included business development and strategic engagement with industry and government.

In 2016 he took a senior leadership role at UTS, growing capacity for external engagement, while also leading strategic partner development with industry and government. Simultaneously, he initiated the NSW Defence Innovation Network in 2017, now with 9 university members in NSW and ACT (of which UOW is a member).

When he left UTS in Sept 2023, the Network was responsible for over $35 million of R&D per year, focussed on delivering new defensive defence capabilities, such as through partner company DroneShield, which exports it products to Ukraine to help defence against drone attacks there, and company Advanced Navigation, which is now producing the navigation technology for NASA’s lunar lander missions.

In October 2023, Bradley took on a new role at UOW, namely, Pro Vice-Chancellor University Impact. This role leads the development of the institution’s impact agenda, helping better position all aspects of the UOW endeavour to benefit society, industry, government and the environment.

Come along and listen to Professor Williams on "Creating Value and Impact".