R M Cripps

R M Cripps is a Visiting Professor in Maritime Engineering at the University of Southampton. He holds a BSc(Hons) in Ship Science and is a Chartered Engineer (CEng) with fellowships in the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (FRINA), the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (FIMarEST), and the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI). His career spans over four decades in marine engineering, focusing on small craft design, composite materials, and non-destructive testing (NDE) applications.

• Education: BSc(Hons) Ship Science, University of Southampton (1976)

His research interests include maritime engineering, naval architecture, and the integration of composite materials in marine applications. He pioneered methods to enable early-stage adoption of technical advancements in ship design and introduced NDE techniques for composites hulls, earning the 2002 NEMET Award. His work has driven industry-academia collaborations, including the Advanced Technology Partnership between the RNLI and University of Southampton (2000).

Key professional achievements include leadership roles as Director of Engineering College for BAE Systems Surface Ships, Technical Director at VT Halmatic, and Engineering Manager at RNLI for 18 years. At RNLI, he oversaw the development of the Severn, Trent, Tamar, and Atlantic 85 class lifeboats. He currently serves as a Director of Longitude Consulting Engineering (part of London Offshore Consultants).

• Honors:
  • Honorary Doctor of Engineering, Bournemouth University (2005)
  • NEMET Award, British Institute of NDT (2002)