Matthew Parnell

Matthew Parnell is an Adjunct Research Fellow at Swinburne University of Technology's Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, with a focus on sustainability, circular economy, and design strategy. He holds a PhD in Sustainable Development from Murdoch University (2012) and has over forty years of experience across industry, government, and academia. His roles include Senior Lecturer in Design Management at Swinburne, Course Director of the Master of Design Strategy and Innovation program, and Theme Leader for Circular Economy at the Smart Cities Research Institute.

Education: PhD in Sustainable Development (Murdoch University), undergraduate qualifications in building, building science, and construction management.

Research interests span sustainable cities, organizational sustainability culture, socio-technical systems, and ecodesign. His work integrates complexity theory, participatory design, and strategic innovation. Notable projects include the Virtual Hub for Climate Change Innovation, the Medellin Waste-to-Opportunity Initiative, and Swinburne's Net Zero 2025 plan.

Advising and grants: Previously supervised HDR students (now inactive), collaborated on Swinburne's renewable energy tender process, and led sustainability projects at Edge Environment and his consultancy Greensynergy. Current collaborations focus on circular economy strategies via Parnell.earth.

Labs/teams: Active in the Centre for Urban Transitions and Smart Cities Research Institute at Swinburne. Methodologies include living systems design, participatory research, and narrative-based approaches to sustainability culture transformation.