Stephen Pierce

Professor Stephen Pierce is a faculty member in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde, within the Faculty of Engineering. He serves as Co-Director of the Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering and holds the Spirit Aerosystems/Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in 'In-process inspection of Aerospace Structures'. He leads the SEARCH (Sensor Enabled Automation, Robotics & Control Hub), a £50M applied NDT technology transfer laboratory.

• Co-Director, Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering
• Academic Director, UK Research Centre in Non-Destructive Evaluation (RCNDE)
• Robotics & Autonomous Systems Lead Coordinator, University of Strathclyde
• Chair, SRPe Robotics and Autonomous Systems Thematic Leadership Group
• Visiting Professor, Högskolan Väst, Sweden

His research integrates robotics, ultrasonics, AI, and instrumentation for Non-Destructive Testing & Evaluation (NDT&E) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). His work supports Industry 4.0 and sustainable manufacturing across aerospace, energy, nuclear, and healthcare sectors.

His recent publications emphasize AI-driven ultrasonic data analysis, robotic inspection systems, and real-time monitoring in composite and additive manufacturing. Key trends include deep learning for defect detection, human-machine collaboration in inspection, and probabilistic sensor fusion for robotic positioning.

• Anne Birt Award 2023
• BINDT Annual Conference Award 2019
• Knowledge Exchange Award 2016
• John Grimwade Medal 2015

He supervises major research projects funded by EPSRC, Innovate UK, and industry partners, with a focus on technology transfer and industrial collaboration. His leadership in RCNDE and SEARCH demonstrates strong grant acquisition and interdisciplinary team management. He teaches Instrumentation & Microcontrollers (EE312) and contributes to Advanced Systems Engineering (EM502).

The SEARCH laboratory operates across two sites: Royal College R2.41 (manufacturing applications) and Technology Innovation Centre TIC 7.14 (asset management), focusing on physical sensors, robotic deployment, and AI-based data interpretation.