Background

Chris's Background:

Now (2002) working in a new career in business and environmental consultancy. Starting with development of a successful environmental consultancy in 1998 (details elsewhere on this site), complimented by over 2 years on Teesside lecturing in, and working on innovation research.

1972-98.

Nearly 30 years spent in or working with the UK Water Industry, in roles from lab chemist through realtime IT and process control to instrumentation repairs and R&D project management. Focus throughout on valuing data by use of measurement and data usage techniques from sensor development (in house and via research providers from universities to SME's) to installation and usage policies for monitoring, process control and regulatory usage.

This gave the opportunity to see the complete supply chain from procurement policies, specification development (performance or technical), cost of ownership assessment, evaluation protocols and testing, installation standards, end to end testing, data validation, maintenance policies, calibration and standardisation and asset recording.

It also supplied a good grounding in electronic engineering, lab and field chemistry, biochemistry and physics. From toxicology to optical physics with mechanical engineering on the way! I can and have used a pipette, burette, HPLC, GLC, microscope, microtome, respirometer, lathe, milling machine, welder, sheet metal folder, soldering iron, Commodore Pet, Vax, PDP11, PC and telemetry system as well as a trowel, cement mixer and a word processor! I wrote this website too.

Business skills have been developed, from setting up my own business to advising others on business startups, technology transfer, the effects of company culture on technology adoption and lifecycle costing, especially for the economics of measurement. Recent speciality is market research for technical projects, the relevant barriers to entry and sales targeting techniques to overcome them.

Professional interests include process instrumentation and automation, especially biological, biochemical, optical and electrochemical technologies. I have been active with industry bodies including SIRA, ACTT, WRc, Evaluation International and SWIG.

Other business activities include a wide range of sustainable development initiatives from water recycling and conservation, grey water reuse and rainwater harvesting to the use of solar and wind power for onsite monitoring and remote operation.

We have a large database on instrument company products and competencies, and another on university research. We also hold extensive information on direct and surrogate measurement techniques, limitations of current technologies and products, and what is on the horizon. (from flow to metals to pesticides to turbidity to bacterial and toxicity measurement).