Sharon Baurley appointed Chair of the Burberry Material Futures Group

The Burberry Foundation and Royal College of Art have announced the appointment of Professor Sharon Baurley as Professor of Design and Materials and Chair of the Burberry Material Futures Research Group.

Commenting on her new role, Professor Baurley said in a statement: “It’s very exciting to have the opportunity to build the Burberry Material Futures Research Group into an internationally leading centre in research and innovation in design and materials that contributes to building a future of sustainable design and production. I look forward to bringing my professorial leadership skills that can synthesise across design and STEM to advance the RCA’s STEAM agenda by developing researchers and students to occupy this unique cognitive space.”

Sharon Baurley to lead Burberry’s Material Futures Group

The group, Burberry said, is the first explicit ‘STEAM’ research initiative at an art and design university, and was announced in 2017 following an award of 3 million pounds (4.2 million dollars) from the Burberry Foundation. The company added that the group will apply radical thinking to invent new sustainable materials, transform consumer experience and advance manufacturing to benefit the whole industry and wider community.

Commenting on Baurley’s appointment, Leanne Wood, Burberry’s Chief People, Strategy & Corporate Affairs Officer, and trustee of the Burberry Foundation, said: “We are delighted that Professor Sharon Baurley has been appointed Chair of the Burberry Material Futures Research Group. The Group was created to find ways to build a more sustainable future and we are excited to see the advances in material science that will be achieved under her leadership.”

Elaborating on Baurley’s industry-focused experience, ranging from smart materials to the impact of new technologies on the future of manufacturing, the company further said that she will define the research agenda of the group and lead the commercial and practical application of the outcomes through collaboration with industry partners.

Baurley has been a Research Professor at the RCA since 2016, where she also completed her PhD in textile design. Her work consulting with industry includes Courtaulds Textiles, Marks & Spencer, Unilever, Design Intelligence and Mantero.

“With a track record in research that covers the full range across design, materials, engineering electronics and computer science, Professor Baurley is the ideal person to provide intellectual and academic leadership to the Burberry Material Futures Research Group,” added Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Naren Barfield.

The company added that Burberry Material Futures Research Group will act as a “virtual” centre until it officially opens its doors in 2020 at the new RCA campus and will pave the way for the establishment of the future RCA Materials Science Research Centre.

Picture credit:Sharon Baurley via Burberry