Washington Yotto Ochieng

Professor Washington Yotto Ochieng serves as Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Chair Professor in Positioning and Navigation Systems at Imperial College London. He directs the Centre for Active Resilience and Security (CARS) and maintains key affiliations with the Centre for Systems Engineering and Innovation, Centre for Transport Engineering and Modelling, Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering, and Space Lab. His extensive advisory roles include the Science Museum Group Board of Trustees, Royal Institute of Navigation Presidency, and Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Steering Committee.

His educational background includes a BSc (First Class) in Engineering from the University of Nairobi and MSc (Distinction) and PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Nottingham. He received an honorary DSc from Technical University of Kenya in 2023.

Ochieng's research pioneers critical infrastructure resilience, user-centric mobility, and positioning/navigation/timing (PNT) systems. He has designed satellite navigation systems (including Europe's EGNOS and GALILEO) for multi-domain applications and advanced Air Traffic Management and Intelligent Transport Systems. His work integrates geomatics, transportation engineering, and sustainable mobility to solve global urban infrastructure challenges, with recent emphasis on decarbonization and AI-driven solutions.

His 2024-2025 publications reveal strong trends in sustainable transportation decarbonization, AI-optimized traffic management, and resilient urban positioning systems. Research focuses on hydrogen fuel cell trains, carbon-efficient aviation, and deep reinforcement learning applications for emission reduction, demonstrating interdisciplinary integration of engineering, environmental science, and artificial intelligence to address climate challenges.

• Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (2013)
• Harold Spencer-Jones Gold Medal from Royal Institute of Navigation (2019)
• Doctor of Science (honoris causa) from Technical University of Kenya (2023)
• Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) from Kenya (2023)
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) (2024)

Ochieng provides strategic guidance to UK Government bodies (Government Office for Science, Department for Transport, FCDO), European Parliament, and European Court of Auditors. His advisory work shaped the Blackett Review on Satellite-derived Time/Position, UK Space Strategy, and Future of Mobility report. He chairs the Science Museum London Advisory Board and leads FCDO's Sustainable Urban Economic Development program in Africa, with significant grant influence through UK National Physical Laboratory and Department for International Development.

He directs the Centre for Active Resilience and Security (CARS) and leads Space Lab initiatives, focusing on mission-critical PNT systems and infrastructure resilience. His teams collaborate with international consortia including RTCM Special Committee 134 and US Institute of Navigation, developing next-generation navigation solutions for safety-critical applications across transport, aviation, and urban environments.