David Lee Butler

David Lee Butler is the MTC Chair in Sustainable Manufacturing at the University of Birmingham's School of Engineering. He leads the Sustainable Manufacturing Group, focusing on rethinking product manufacturing and sales to address planetary resource constraints. His work spans materials extraction, lifecycle assessment, digitalisation, additive manufacturing, automation, robotics, and clean energy. Butler holds a PhD, MSc(Eng), and BEng(Hons) from the University of Birmingham. Previously, he spent 18 years in Singapore at Nanyang Technological University, co-founding the Advanced Remanufacturing & Technology Centre (ARTC), which now employs over 250 staff. He also served as Science Lead for Additive Manufacturing at the National Physical Laboratory while at the University of Strathclyde. His research emphasizes sustainable manufacturing solutions for wind turbines, aircraft decommissioning, and circular economy models.

Education:

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, 2000
• MSc(Eng) in Integrated Quality Systems, University of Birmingham, 1992
• BEng(Hons) in Manufacturing Engineering & Economics, University of Birmingham, 1992

Research Interests include sustainable manufacturing, lifecycle assessment, remanufacturing, surface engineering, and circular economy strategies. His projects include developing end-of-life strategies for wind turbines and aircraft, and establishing consortia for sustainable manufacturing solutions. He secured over £4 million in research funding at Strathclyde and holds joint appointments with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland and the National Physical Laboratory.

Grants & Funding: Over £4M secured at Strathclyde University for projects on wind turbine lifecycle, net-zero transitions, and additive manufacturing.