At ITEN, we’re always proud to see our team members contributing their expertise to shape the future of transport. That’s why we’re delighted to share that Nick has been appointed to the UK Department for Transport (DfT) Science Advisory Council (SAC).
The SAC plays a crucial role in advising the DfT on key science and technology challenges, ensuring that transport policy is built on a strong evidence base. With Nick’s background in human factors, transport psychology, and vehicle automation, he brings valuable insights to the table. In this blog, he shares his experience so far and what this new role means in practice.
A word from Nick
2024 closed for me with the pleasing news that I had been appointed to the UK Department for Transport Science Advisory Council (DfT SAC)…
What’s that?
If you follow the link it will tell you that the SAC: ”…supports the department on science and technology issues to make sure [DfT’s] work is of the highest standard”.
But what does that mean in practice?
It’s a group that meets quarterly for an all-day meeting to discuss the critical topics of concern for the DfT. The SAC also produces position papers which are all available at the link above. This includes a 2017 paper on the risks, benefits and opportunities for artificial intelligence in transport – way before the current hype around this area! The SAC helps the DfT to get a fully rounded scientific perspective on the challenges it faces with a strong understanding of future developments, current challenges and potential pitfalls.
And who else is in the SAC?
The SAC consists of 11 members including its chairperson, Professor Alistair Lewis and its meetings are attended by the DfT’s Chief Scientific Adviser (Professor Sarah Sharples). Expertise across the group includes air quality, electrification, aviation and a variety of engineering disciplines.
And why you!?
Following departures from the SAC, there was an application process for the vacant slots with DfT seeking expertise across SAC to give them wide coverage across the disciplines relevant to their work. I was fortunate enough to be successful and am hoping to bring to the table my expertise and experience in human factors, transport psychology, road safety and vehicle automation.
What are the meetings like?
I’ve only attended one to date but I really enjoyed being able to contribute to the topics under discussion and to hear the insightful contributions of the council members. There were also invited speakers both from within DfT and from beyond – each of whom gave excellent presentations on specific challenges they faced. As an all-day meeting, there was time for deep discussions on each agenda point – and yet the time still seemed to fly by!
What next?
Well, I can’t go into details of future meetings, suffice to say that I’m very much looking forward to the upcoming discussions. Whether a simple commute to work or international freight operations, transport is a critical element in all our lives but is influenced by societal, technical, economic, environmental, safety, and equality perspectives to name but a few. There’s a lot for us to do!
We know that shaping the future of transport requires collaboration, expertise, and forward-thinking insights. Nick’s appointment to the SAC is a testament to the impact of our team’s knowledge and experience in this evolving space.
We look forward to seeing how his contributions help inform policy and drive innovation in transport. Stay tuned for more updates as he continues this important work!
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