معرفی
Jonathan Cullen is Professor of Sustainable Engineering at the University of Cambridge and President of Fitzwilliam College, specializing in resource efficiency and decarbonization through top-down analysis of industrial material and energy systems. His work bridges academic research with industry applications across energy-intensive sectors.
Education:
- Bachelor's in Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
- MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development, University of Cambridge
- PhD in Engineering Fundamentals of Energy Efficiency, University of Cambridge
His research develops metrics for quantifying energy and material consequences of production systems, focusing on circular economy implementation, minimum energy requirements, and zero-carbon transition pathways. Key applications target cement, steel, plastics, and petrochemicals where he pioneers methods like exergetic analysis and material flow accounting to expose carbon lock-ins and circularity opportunities.
Recent publications reveal three dominant trends: (1) Frameworks for theoretical minimum energy requirements across industrial processes, (2) Geopolitical analysis of critical mineral flows and ownership structures, and (3) Circular economy metrics for plastics and construction materials. These consistently employ system-scale modeling validated through industry partnerships.
Research Funding:
- Lead: C-THRU ($4M, VKRF) - carbon clarity in petrochemical supply chains
- Co-I: UK FIRES (£5.2M, EPSRC) - industrial decarbonization program
- Co-I: CirPlas (£1.25M, UKRI) - plastic waste elimination
- 7+ projects (EPSRC, Innovate UK, Horizon 2020)
Academic Leadership:
- Teaching: Energy Systems and Policy (MPhil in Energy Technologies)
- Undergraduate supervision in Materials/Mathematics
- Graduate Tutor at Fitzwilliam College
- IPCC AR6 Lead Author (Industry Chapter)
He directs the Resource Efficiency Collective, which develops open-source tools like Mat-dp for material demand projections and Starter Data Kits for energy planning. Current work focuses on scaling circular business models for construction retrofitting and quantifying geopolitical risks in critical mineral supply chains.
