Susan Gourvenec

Professor Susan Gourvenec is a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies – Intelligent & Resilient Ocean Engineering and Professor of Offshore Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Southampton. She serves as Deputy Director of the Southampton Marine & Maritime Institute (SMMI). Her expertise spans offshore geotechnical engineering, marine spatial planning, and renewable energy systems, with a focus on advancing technologies for sustainable ocean infrastructure. She holds a PhD (1998) and BEng from the University of Southampton.

Her research addresses challenges in offshore wind energy, including seabed characterization, floating turbine anchoring, and spatial planning for large-scale installations. She co-authored textbooks on offshore geotechnics and chairs ISO committees for marine standards. Awards include Fellowships from the Royal Academy of Engineering, Institution of Civil Engineers, and Institution of Engineers Australia.

Collaborating with industry, she leads projects on resilient ocean engineering and advises on emerging technologies. Her work integrates geotechnical innovation with environmental sustainability, aiming to unlock ocean resources while minimizing ecological impacts.