The team
The Policy and Innovation Group is composed by enthusiastic researchers dedicated to the analysis and promotion of ocean energy. The team is led by Mr Henry Jeffrey, Head of the Policy and Innovation Group at the University of Edinburgh.
Head of Policy and Innovation Group
Prof Henry Jeffrey - Henry Jeffrey is a specialist in ocean energy roadmaps, action plans and strategies. He is a co-director for the UK SuperGen (Offshore Renewable Energy) project and heads the Policy and Innovation Group in the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Energy Systems. Henry chairs the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) Ocean Energy Joint Programme (JP) and collaborates on numerous European and International marine energy projects. From 2017-2021 he held a position as the Chairperson of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Ocean Energy Systems (OES) programme, which is a government-to-government policy group responsible for supporting knowledge exchange and collaboration between countries and organisations active in the ocean energy sector.
Henry's LinkedIn Profile.
Henry's LinkedIn Profile.
Research Associates
Dr Donald Noble - Donald is a civil and environmental engineer with a focus on techno-economic assessment of water and renewable energy projects. His EngD considered testing marine renewable energy devices in a combined wave-current environment at the University of Edinburgh's FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility, as part of the Industrial Doctorate Centre of Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE). He also has prior experience of hydrology and flood risk assessment, plus the development, consenting, and environmental impact assessment of small hydropower and flood alleviation schemes.
Donald's LinkedIn profile.
Donald's LinkedIn profile.
Mr Kristofer Grattan – Kristofer has a completed a BSc (Hons) in Physics at Heriot Watt University and an MSc in Energy, Society and Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh. His MSc dissertation looked at the socio-economic impacts of community energy projects on the Orkney Islands, Scotland and their role in pushing back the localised emergence of late-stage capitalism. Prior to his MSc, Kristofer worked in the telecommunications industry as a researcher for British Telecomm and joins us having worked for a year as a marine energy business development manager for Edinburgh Innovations.
Kristofer's LinkedIn profile.
Kristofer's LinkedIn profile.
Associated PhD students
Dr Paul Kerr - Paul is a Master of Mechanical Engineering with Renewable energy. His PhD research investigated the potential of novel technologies to enable development and commercialisation in the wave energy sector, with collaboration from Wave Energy Scotland. Prior to this, under supervision from Henry Jeffrey and Leonore van Velzen, his MEng thesis explored strategy planning for offshore renewables in the Canary Islands. During his undergraduate study Paul gained experience in the offshore renewables industry having completed placements at EMEC, Xodus and Aquatera.
Paul successfully defended his viva voce in December 2023 for his thesis Radical innovation for the wave energy sector: an investigation of the potential of direct conversion as an enabling technology.
Paul's LinkedIn profile.
Paul successfully defended his viva voce in December 2023 for his thesis Radical innovation for the wave energy sector: an investigation of the potential of direct conversion as an enabling technology.
Paul's LinkedIn profile.
Previous Researchers
Dr PuiWah Wong - PuiWah obtained her PhD in Environmental Engineering from Osaka University specialising in Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) energy system. She has extensive and in-depth industrial experience in supply chain analysis and roadmapping of the solar PV industry. She has also worked closely with national and international organisations including the Malaysian government, UNIDO and UNEP in renewable energy and low carbon projects and studies. In PIG, PuiWah will contribute mainly in Supergen projects including roadmapping of the wave, tidal and floating offshore sector to achieve UK's net zero target.
PuiWah's LinkedIn profile.
PuiWah's LinkedIn profile.
Mr Fearghus Gordon - Fearghus completed a BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering at the University of Southampton and an MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh. His MSc thesis project involved the assessment of the ability of Scottish Ports and Harbours to supply appropriate infrastructure for the newly proposed round of fixed and floating offshore wind projects set out in the ScotWind auction. Prior to coming to Edinburgh, Fearghus worked as a Civil Structures engineer for Waterman Group on various large scale infrastructure and rail projects.
Fearghus' LinkedIn profile.
Fearghus' LinkedIn profile.
Dr Shona Pennock - Shona is a Master of Science in Renewable Energy Systems and the Environment and an alumna of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Wind Energy Systems at the University of Strathclyde. Her PhD focused on the impact of a single European energy market on the economics and operation of wind power in Scotland, using various dispatch models to investigate the impact of introducing zonal pricing within GB due to the current CfD subsidy framework. During the course of her PhD she undertook an internship at the Scottish Government and volunteered as a STEM ambassador. She is particularly interested in the economic and technical challenges facing the marine energy sector.
Shona's LinkedIn profile.
Shona's LinkedIn profile.
Dr Mohammad Yousef – Mohammad has completed a BEng (Hons) in Electronics, Control and Systems Engineering and an MSc (Eng) in Control Systems Engineering, both at the University of Sheffield. His EngD research project concerned tidal stream energy resource assessment of the Churchill Barriers in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. The EngD research project was part of the Industrial Doctoral Centre for Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE) consortium. Prior to the EngD, Mohammad worked in the oil and gas industry as an Instrumentation and Control (I&C) engineer on various projects in the North Sea, UK.
Mohammad's LinkedIn profile.
Mohammad's LinkedIn profile.
Dr Anup Nambiar - Anup is a sustainability enthusiast specialising in renewable power generation in the electrical power system. His main areas of interest are in the resource-to-wire modelling and control of wave and tidal converters and arrays, distributed generation and smart grids. He has experience in power system modelling, network integration of renewables and in the optimisation, control, numerical modelling and physical testing of marine energy converters and arrays.
Anup's LinkedIn Profile.
Anup's LinkedIn Profile.
Ms Tianna Bloise-Thomaz - Tianna is a Civil Engineer, currently developing Global Economic Model for wave energy technologies, evaluating levelised cost of energy, life cycle assessment and socio-economic cost of energy. Her MSc thesis focused on a new methodology to link wave energy resources and the cost of wave energy device. Prior to commencing at the Policy and Innovation Group, she gained experience at Oil & Gas Industry working with structural integrity and design of sub-sea structures. She has interest in energy industry, environmental sustainability and efficient designs.
Tianna's LinkedIn Profile.
Tianna's LinkedIn Profile.
Ms Shovana Talukdar - Shovana is an environmental enthusiast with a master’s in Carbon Finance, an MBA and a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. For her MSc thesis, she produced an in-depth analysis and insight on corporate procurement of renewable energy through Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), in collaboration with Wood Mackenzie. She also has experience in the financial services sector while working as a Senior Financial Analyst for Time Incorporation. Her interests include climate finance, environmental policy and clean technology.
Shovana's LinkedIn profile.
Shovana's LinkedIn profile.
Dr. Maria Vanegas - Maria is a Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer at the Europa-Universität Flensburg in Germany. Maria holds a PhD in Economics. Her research focuses on sustainable energy planning and policy, with a particular interest in exploring potential synergies between energy sectors using a smart energy systems approach and enabling innovation to facilitate the energy transition. During her time as a Research Associate in the Policy and Innovation Group, Maria worked on techno-economic and socio-environmental assessments of emerging offshore renewable energy technologies. Before joining academia, Maria was a Project Engineer in the Oil & Gas industry working for ExxonMobil and DNV GL in Nicaragua and Germany respectively.
Maria's LinkedIn profile.
Maria's LinkedIn profile.
Ms Charlotte Cochrane - Charlotte is a Business and Policy Analyst in Edinburgh with Simply Blue Group, where she is responsible for policy and political engagement at a strategic and project level. Headquartered in Cork, Ireland, Simply Blue Group is a leading blue economy project developer, with operations in floating offshore wind, sustainable aquaculture, and multi-use of the sea. In her two years as Research Associate in Marine Energy at the Policy and Innovation Group, Charlotte led two studies quantifying the potential economic benefit associated with floating offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy at a UK and European level
Charlotte's LinkedIn profile.
Charlotte's LinkedIn profile.
Dr Encarni Medina-Lopez - Encarni is a Civil and Environmental Engineer, currently working as a Chancellor’s Fellow in Data Driven Innovation at the University of Edinburgh. Before taking this position, she was part of the Policy & Innovation Group, working on numerical modelling of tidal arrays and techno-economic analysis of marine energy converters. She holds a PhD in Energy Systems and Dynamics of Biogeochemical Flows awarded jointly by the University of Edinburgh and Universidad de Granada in Spain, and has industry experience working for the consultancy HR Wallingford.
Encarni's LinkedIn profile.
Encarni's LinkedIn profile.
Mr David Bould - David is Lead R&D Specialist for Ørsted where he is responsible for their engagements and collaborations with universities and research organisations. Originally from Edinburgh, he’s now based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Following his time in the Policy and Innovation Group, David held the position of R&D Partnerships Manager with ORE Catapult and has also worked in energy systems and ocean energy with the Carbon Trust. Prior to completing an MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh, he spent 7 years working offshore in the oil and gas survey sector.
David's LinkedIn profile.
David's LinkedIn profile.