Prof Phillip Kennedy
PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons)
Visiting Professor
Chairman of Nanoforce Technology Ltd
Joseph Priestley 2.07, Mile End
| Expertise: | Industry-Academia Liaison, New Product Development Processes, DMAIC Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, Technical Management, Innovation Management Systems, Process Improvement, Customer Insights |
| Affiliations: |
- A senior advisor and fellow of the Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (IKE), the UK's professional body for innovators. It accredits, certifies and benchmarks innovation in such sectors as construction, defence, education, energy, electronics, nuclear, security, technology and transportation. - Grant application appraiser for the National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC) and the Pittsburgh University innovation fund - Chairman, and former CEO, of Nanoforce Technology Ltd, a QMUL wholly-owned company that is an industry facing contract research arm of QMUL SEMS |
Brief Biography
Phil Kennedy joined the QMUL SEMS team as a Visiting Professor in March 2019 after a 33 year career in industry with 3M, a global science-based technology company renowned for its innovation in bringing to market some 55,000 products across multiple markets including healthcare, manufacturing, electronics, automotive, aerospace, consumer, etc.
He was the CEO of Nanoforce Technology Ltd at QMUL from February 2020 to December 2022 and is now its Chairman.
3M has a strong background in Materials Science, as does Phil himself, and so SEMS is an excellent fit. He holds a PhD and BSc in Chemistry from the University of Nottingham and an MSc in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Bristol.
During his 3M career Phil worked in a wide range of both UK and European functions including technical management, marketing management, regulatory affairs, new business development, and two assignments as a Six Sigma Black Belt covering process improvement (DMAIC Six Sigma) and new product introduction (Design for Six Sigma, DFSS).
In his last 3M role Phil headed up an external and digital innovation function for 3M United Kingdom plc where he was responsible for external collaboration with UK academia, UK Catapult Centres and SMEs as well as the access to, and management of, external funding. The aim of this role was to accelerate growth through accessing external technology and innovation that complemented 3M's internal capabilities.
Based on this varied industrial career, as well as a "voice of industry", Phil brings expertise to his Visiting Professor role in the following areas:
- New product development & innovation
- Portfolio management and prioritisation
- Customer insights and gathering voice of customer
- Research & Development management skills
- Industry-academia collaboration
- Process improvement methodology
He was the CEO of Nanoforce Technology Ltd at QMUL from February 2020 to December 2022 and is now its Chairman.
3M has a strong background in Materials Science, as does Phil himself, and so SEMS is an excellent fit. He holds a PhD and BSc in Chemistry from the University of Nottingham and an MSc in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Bristol.
During his 3M career Phil worked in a wide range of both UK and European functions including technical management, marketing management, regulatory affairs, new business development, and two assignments as a Six Sigma Black Belt covering process improvement (DMAIC Six Sigma) and new product introduction (Design for Six Sigma, DFSS).
In his last 3M role Phil headed up an external and digital innovation function for 3M United Kingdom plc where he was responsible for external collaboration with UK academia, UK Catapult Centres and SMEs as well as the access to, and management of, external funding. The aim of this role was to accelerate growth through accessing external technology and innovation that complemented 3M's internal capabilities.
Based on this varied industrial career, as well as a "voice of industry", Phil brings expertise to his Visiting Professor role in the following areas:
- New product development & innovation
- Portfolio management and prioritisation
- Customer insights and gathering voice of customer
- Research & Development management skills
- Industry-academia collaboration
- Process improvement methodology