David Lewis

Professor David Lewis is a Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor at Flinders University, affiliated with the College of Science and Engineering and the Flinders Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology. He holds roles as Discipline Head (Science) and Research Leader. Lewis specializes in polymer science, nanotechnology, and energy storage systems, with a focus on translating research into commercial applications. His career includes positions at IBM, SOLA Optical (now Carl Zeiss Vision), and co-founding 3RT to commercialize wood-based materials.

Education: PhD (University of Queensland, 1986), postdoctoral research at Virginia Tech and IBM T.J. Watson Research Center. Key research areas include polymer electronics, functional particles, and sustainable materials for energy and environmental solutions. He has authored over 100 papers, holds 50+ patents, and received awards such as the RACI Weickhardt Medal (2022) and SA Innovator finalist recognition (2021/2022).

His work addresses challenges in solar energy, desalination, and material innovation. Recent research trends include aqueous zinc-ion batteries, phase change materials for thermal storage, and biocatalytic systems. Grants and collaborations focus on advancing nanotechnology and polymer applications. Lewis is a non-executive director of 3RT and actively engages in industry-academia partnerships.