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Professor Peter Cochrane OBE

Technology, Engineering and Management Consultant Visiting Professor & Lecturer

BSc, MSc, PhD, DSc, FCEng, CGIA FREng, FRSA, FIEE, FIEEE, FITP, F.Cyb.S

Executive Summary

As a distinguished technology visionary, engineer, applied scientist, manager, and leader with over 50 years of experience spanning telecoms, logistics, retail, defence, manufacturing, commerce, and application deployments internationally, Peter brings a wide spectrum of abilities and experiences to the table. His leadership was transformative as The Head of Research and CTO at BT. His successes as an entrepreneur have also been notable, and he is also an internationally recognised academic.

Peter’s approach to science, engineering, creativity, and management/leadership problem-solving is founded on the establishment of truths, deep understandings, ethics, and moral considerations. Throughout his career, Peter created and nurtured multi-ethnic, multi-disciplinary teams that also embraced the latest technologies, including AI (1990).

Encouraging these teams to then achieve things they did not know they were capable of was the only energising required! The courage of their convictions then powered fundamental breakthroughs and economic success.

The last job interviews Peter attended were at the age of 16 when he was offered four jobs simultaneously and decided to enter the telecoms industry. After that time, his progression was by one tap on the shoulder after another! However, his mental position/ concentration has been one of working hard on the necessary understandings in order to conjure understanding and solutions. Promotions and advancement were thus a side effect of a hard-won education, practical experience, and the willingness to adopt ‘out of the box’ propositions and solutions, followed by taking calculated risks. The mindset:

“Incomplete knowledge seldom precludes all opportunity”

“If you are not failing, you are not trying hard enough”

“Failure is not a crime; it is a learning opportunity"

“Decisions generally trump indecision"

“Perfection is the enemy of progress"

What follows is a skeletal version of Peter’s professional career that is easy to read and digest, and designed to help you in your assessment and understanding of Peter Cochrane. Should you need even more detail, GOTO the ‘Full Career Record’ hot button at the top of the page.

A Comprehensive Career Catalogue

Essex University

DSc Electronics Systems Design (1988-91)
PhD Telecoms Transmission (1976-79)
MSc Telecommunications Systems (1974-76)

Trent Polytechnic

BSc Hons (1st Class) Electrical Engineering (1968-73)
Winner: IEE Prize for the Year BSc Hons Degree (1973)

Professional & Fellowships

1977: Chartered Engineer (CEI)
1994: Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng)
1992: Fellow IEEE (FIEEE) - Life Fellow(2014)
1987: Fellow Institution of Electrical Engineering (FIEE)
2000: Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)
2015: Fellow of Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (FITP)
2019: Honorary Fellow of The Cybernetics Society UK (F.Cyb.S)
1995: Member of The New York Academy of Sciences

Honours & Awards

2007: CNET Industry Award for Contributions to UK Technology
2001: The City & Guilds Prince Philip Medal for Individual Achievement
2000: IEEE Millennium Medal
1999: OBE for contributions to international communications
1995: Institute of Mining Engineers James Clerk Maxwell Memorial Medal
1994: Martlesham Medal for contributions to fibre optics systems and networks
1990: Queen's Award for Innovation & Export (TAT8 and PTAT1 undersea cables)

Honorary Doctorates: Essex (1996), Stafford (1996), Robert Gordon (1999), Trent (1999), Brunel (2002), Abertay Dundee (2004)

Current

2020 - Present: Freelance Consultant & Academic

Visiting Professor: University of Suffolk, University of Hertfordshire
Visiting Lecturer: Binus University (Jakarta, Hanoi, Bangkok)
Research focus: Cyber Attack Precursors, Truth Engine Development, AI andSentience

2022 - Present: Advisory Roles

Member of Advisory Board, Centre for the Future of Work, University of Pretoria
Internal PhD Supervisor, University of Suffolk

Career History

2020-2022: Professor of Sentient Systems, University of Suffolk

Started a transition into full-time academia from 2016 to 2020
Pioneered new approaches to teaching and research in complex systems
Advanced research in intelligence, sentience, truth, cyber security, mesh nets, IoT

2006-2020: Chairman & Co-Founder, Cochrane Associates

Founded virtual global consultancy with operations spanning multiple continents
Provided consultancy, research, development, and design services
Continued investment in technology start-ups and business angel activities

2000-2006: Co-Founder & Consultant, ConceptLabs CA

Co-founded company with former Apple Advanced Technology Group team
Focused on paradigm-changing technologies and market creation
Established start-up companies across four continents

1999-2000: Chief Technology Officer, BT

Created Communications Consultant Group for long-term technology futures
Supported BT and corporate clients in technology and change management
Global technology strategy leadership advisor for BT

1994-1999: Head of Research, BT Laboratories

Led research department with expanded scope including AI, VR, mobile systems
Managed 1000 people across advanced technology development
Board member for Technology Development and Procurement

1987-1994: Various Leadership Roles, BT Labs

General Manager, Research Laboratories (1993-1994)
Divisional Manager, Systems Research (1991-1993)
Divisional Manager, Optical Networks (1987-1991)
Pioneered Transparent Optical Network concept
Led team that won Queen's Award for Technical Innovation

1973-1987: Progressive Technical Roles, British Post Office/BT

Advanced from Executive Engineer to Head of Section
Developed TAT8 Trans-Atlantic system components
Pioneered optical fibre measurement techniques
Assigned to UNIDO (on-loan from BT) as a technical expert in Turkey

Academic Appointments (Selected)

Current & Recent:

Visiting Professor: University of Suffolk (2022-Present)
Visiting Professor: University of Hertfordshire (2022-2026)
Professor, Sentient Systems University of Suffolk (2020-2022)
Visiting Professor: Nottingham Trent University (2019-2021)
Visiting Professor: Salford University (2019-2024)

Past:

MIT Media Lab PhD External Examiner (2000-02)
MIT Media Lab Europe Dublin External Advisor (2001-04)
Collier Chair for Public Understanding of Science & Tech, Bristol (1999-00)
Visiting Professor: Essex (1988-99), Southampton (1991-94), UCL (1994-99)
External PhD Supervisor/Examiner, MIT, Cambridge, Leeds, Nottingham Trent, IIT Kharagpur, Robert Gordons, Essex, UCL, et al

Key Research Areas

Artificial Intelligence & Sentience: Advanced research in machine consciousness
Cybersecurity: Cyber attack precursor detection and identification
Truth Engines: Development of systems for information verification
Telecommunications: 5G/6G networks, optical systems, network evolution
Industry 4.0 & Society 5.0: Technology transformation and social implications
IoT & Complex Systems: Internet of Things scalability and mesh networks
Future application of quantum technologies

Publications & Media

1000+ scientific papers, patents, press articles, and book chapters
400+ national and international radio and TV appearances
Regular contributor: Times, Telegraph, Guardian, USA Today, Wired Magazine
Series Editor: Chapman Hall Telecommunications Book Series
Editorial Board Member: IEEE Proc, Personal Technologies, Virtual Reality Mag

Professional Service

IEEE Activities:

Editorial Board Member, Proceedings of the IEEE (1998-2001)
Spectrum Editor (1994-1997)
Conference Organiser and Papers Coordinator (1987-1996)

Other Professional Service:

Marconi Fellowship Award Selection Committee (1996)
EPSRC College Member (1995)
EU Information Society Technologies Programme Advisory Group (1998)
Qatar Computing Research Institute Advisory Committee (2013-2016)
Royal Academy Project Auditor 2025

Consultancy Expertise

Recent Focus Areas:

Cyber Attack Precursor Detection
Insider Threat Detection - Prediction
Mesh Networks for IoT and 6G Services
Ultra-Short Range High Density Wireless Systems
Machine Learning and AI Implementation
Truth validation/authentication automation
Digital Transformation Strategy

Past Clients: Facebook, BMW, RR, Deloitte, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Motorola, MoD, USAF, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, et al

Industries Served: Defence, Telecoms, Healthcare, Financial Services, Logistics, Energy, Manufacturing, Retail, Government, Education

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