Professor David Zhang, born in 1965, obtained BSc in Mechanical Engineering in 1983, MSc in CAD/CAM in 1986, and PhD in Manufacturing and Engineering Systems in 1996. From 1986 to 1989, he worked briefly in China as a University Lecturer. From 1989 to 2000, he was Research Associate, Project Leader, and Lecturer at the Universities of Durham, Brunel and Liverpool. He joined the University of Exeter as Chair of Manufacturing Systems in 2000 and served as Director of Postgraduate Studies for the School of Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Head of Advanced Technologies Research Institute, and head and academic lead of the Materials and Manufacturing group. He founded and led as the founding director the Agile Manufacturing and Enterprise Centre at Liverpool (the agility centre), and since 2001 founded and led as Director the Exeter Manufacturing and Enterprise Centre (XMEC).
Professor Zhang’s research interest, over a period of 30 years, has covered many areas of research in design and manufacturing, including CAD/CAM, Robotics/Automation, Advanced Composites Manufacturing, Computer Vision, Manufacturing Systems, Multi-agent Technology, Agile Manufacturing, and Supply Chain Optimisation. His current research focuses on supply chain modelling and optimisation, manufacturing strategies and agility, distributed systems, socialised innovation and manufacturing, dynamically integrated manufacturing systems, sustainable low-carbon manufacturing, additive manufacturing and strategies,systems and product design methodologies to support its adoption.
Professor Zhang has published over 190 articles in refereed international journals and conference proceedings. His research in the last 15 years has been supported by over £10 million research grants from the EPSRC, EU, DTI/TSB and industry. His contribution to research/industry has been recognised by various regional, national, and international awards, including the 1998 Merseyside Innovation Award, the 2001 IMechE Thatcher Brothers Prize, the 2002 MCB Press Highly Commended Award, and TCS/KTP Certificates of Excellence from DTI/TSB (1998, 2005). As an international expert in his field, he frequently serves on programme committees or as keynote speakers of major international conferences, and as grant reviewer for various UK and overseas research funding bodies (e.g., EPSRC, Canada, Singapore, Sweden, etc) and programme reviewer and external examiner for UK and overseas postgraduate/undergraduate programmes (e.g. Cranfield, Hong Kong University), as well as as senior corporate strategy advisors for large multinational companies. Regionally, he served as a founding Director of Southwest Manufacturing Advisory Service (SWMAS) from 2001-2009. Prof Zhang is a Senior Member of IEEE, and a Member of Technical Committee of IASTED.