Institution news
We caught up with Professor Kostas Salonitis, Head of the Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Centre at Cranfield University, to gain insight into the benefits of volunteering and how Cranfield supports him to do so.
Tell Us More About Your New Role?
IMechE’s Manufacturing Industries Division (MID) has a long history of supporting the UK manufacturing sector and all its members that are directly or indirectly engaged in it. Becoming the chair of the MID board in 2021 is a great honour and responsibility as well, especially at this very challenging time for UK manufacturing.
What Do You Believe to be the Main Challenges?
The manufacturing sector both in the UK and worldwide faces a number of urgent challenges which dictate the need for transformational change. The road to Net Zero, reliable access to the right resources, and the accelerating pace of emerging technologies are some of the key issues. We, as a Board, need to support our members and the UK manufacturing as a whole to be more resilient.
How is Cranfield University Supporting You to Volunteer with IMechE?
Cranfield University actively supports academics working with professional bodies and institutions. In its 75 years of history, Cranfield University has developed unrivalled links with business, industry and governments, and many of its staff have spent considerable portions of their careers in industry or government. Since my first engagement with the MID board, Cranfield University has supported me fully by releasing me from other commitments.
What are the Benefits of Volunteering for IMechE?
Volunteering for the great institution of IMechE, has multiple social and personal benefits. It enables professional engineers like me to give back to our engineering community and actively contribute to the collective progress of our profession. Doing this together with like-minded board members who generously give their time, unrivalled enthusiasm and talent to support manufacturing is a truly unique experience of fellowship.
Doing this together with like-minded board members who generously give their time, unrivalled enthusiasm and talent to support manufacturing is a truly unique experience of fellowship.
The Mini CV of Kostas Salonitis
Kostas Salonitis studied Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics in Greece, compelled by a strong interest in how things work and are made. A bright teenager who had a passion for maths and physics, Kostas designed cars, leading him to study mechanical engineering. A PhD followed, with a further MBA in Business Administration and an MEd in Education. Kostas understood the need for continuous learning and development of new skills.
Although most of Kostas’ career has been in academia, he has also worked for the Greek government in construction project management. Alongside his full-time work, he would also run small engineering and management consultancy companies. Kostas also has a background in research, and worked in a number of EU funded projects, focusing on developing manufacturing solutions for EU automotive organisations.
Becoming an IMechE member was one of the first tasks on the agenda when moving to the UK, and Kostas was elected as a Fellow in 2018.
It was in 2012 when Kostas moved to the UK, joining Cranfield University as a Lecturer in Manufacturing Systems. Over the past decade, he has progressed to become a Professor of Manufacturing Systems and secured funding in excess of £8m. Research areas include simulation and modelling of manufacturing systems and processes, sustainability and resource efficiency of manufacturing systems and processes and lean, green thinking and implementation.
In 2019, Kostas was appointed as the Head of Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Centre contributing to its successful growth. The centre now boasts eight academic and four research employees and currently has over thirty-five PhD students.
Kostas has been the Deputy Director of the Manufacturing and Materials theme at Cranfield University, which is one of the largest academic manufacturing departments in the UK.
Becoming an IMechE member was one of the first tasks on the agenda when moving to the UK, and Kostas was elected as a Fellow in 2018. He dedicates his time to support the Institution and is a consistent participant in membership interviews and has been a member of the IMechE’s Manufacturing Division since 2020 and was elected Chair in 2021.
Click here to find out more about volunteering opportunities.