ProfessorDenis Dowling

I was responsible for establishing the Research Ireland funded I-Form Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in 2017, and directing it until 2026. The research focus of this €40+ million Centre, is on materials processing (particularly additive manufacturing), as well as the integration of digital technologies into the manufacturing environment. I also led UCD's participation in the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) in manufacturing, from 2020 to 2025. My own research incorporates the related areas of additive manufacturing and surface engineering. I have published extensively in on the processing of polymers, composites and metals by additive manufacturing, as well as in plasma processing (particularly using atmospheric treatments). I am ranked in the world's top 2% of scientists in the Stanford University/Elsevier rankings. My teaching included modules on Manufacturing and Nanomaterials. 22 PhD and 5 MSc research students have completed their studies under my supervision. I was previously deputy director of the SFI Precision Cluster, which was focused on plasma processing (2009 – 2014). I was the recipient of the UCD Innovation Award (2012) and the gold medal of the Institute of Materials Finishing (2013). Prior to taking up an academic position in UCD in 2008, I worked in Enterprise Ireland, leading several EU funded research projects, as well as partnering with companies to assist them in the development of their own research activities.

Web Pages: www.ucd.ie/surfaces & www.I-Form.ie