Prof Terrence Fernando is a leading academic and research innovator in the fields of virtual environments, urban simulation, and disaster resilience. He serves as Director of the THINKlab and has led major multi-institutional research initiatives across the UK and internationally. His work bridges engineering, urban planning, and digital collaboration, with strong affiliations to institutions such as the University of Salford, UMIST, Manchester, and Lancaster. His research focuses on developing advanced collaborative platforms for urban planning, energy efficiency, and disaster resilience. Key projects include EU-funded CoSpaces, INTUITION VR Network, Visionair, Design4Energy, PROSECO, and CROSS DRIVE. Currently, he leads the GCRF/EPSRC-funded MOBILISE and ESRC/GCRF TRANS-DRIVE projects, which aim to build resilient communities in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Pakistan through digital infrastructure and stakeholder collaboration. His research portfolio demonstrates a consistent trend toward integrating virtual reality, unified information modeling, and multi-agency coordination to address complex societal challenges such as flood and landslide risk, sustainable urban development, and community resilience. These efforts emphasize participatory design, risk-sensitive planning, and technology-enhanced stakeholder engagement. Scientific Director, EU CoSpaces Project Core Member, INTUITION VR Network of Excellence Partner, Visionair Project Principal Investigator, MOBILISE Project (GCRF/EPSRC) Principal Investigator, TRANS-DRIVE Project (ESRC/GCRF) Prof Fernando has secured significant research grants from EPSRC, EU, and GCRF, enabling large-scale deployments in partnership with local governments and resilience forums. His projects often involve multi-agency collaboration with city councils, NGOs, and international consortia, focusing on real-world impact in urban resilience and sustainable development. He leads the THINKlab, a research center dedicated to advanced virtual prototyping and collaborative workspaces, which has developed innovative simulation and visualization technologies for sectors including aerospace, construction, and urban planning.









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