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Chris Speed

Professor, Design for Regenerative Futures

School of Design

Orcid identifier0000-0003-0101-8117
  • Professor, Design for Regenerative Futures
    School of Design
  • City Campus, Australia

BIO

Chris Speed FRSE  is Professor of Design for Regenerative Futures at RMIT, Melbourne, Australia, where he collaborates with a wide variety of communities and partners to explore how design provides methods to adapt toward becoming a regenerative society. Chris has an established track record in directing large complex grants and educational programmes with academic, industry and third sector partners, that apply design and data methods to social, environmental and economic challenges.

Industry Experience:
Chris has an established track record in directing large complex grants with academic, industry and third sector partners, that apply design and data methods to social, environmental and economic challenges.

From 2018-2024 Chris was Director for the £7.4m Creative Informatics R&D Partnership, one of the nine AHRC funded Creative Industries Clusters in the UK. Creative Informatics supported creatives in Edinburgh and South East Scotland to innovate with data and data-driven technologies. We worked with creative SMEs, entrepreneurs and larger creative and cultural organisations to undertake R&D. The programme developed a network of over 5000 creatives, trained 650+ in using data-driven technologies, funded 130+ projects, which developed 145+ new products & services, and secured over £6.78m in further funding and investment. Partners included CodeBase, the UK largest growing tech programme; Creative Edinburgh, a 5000 creative practitioners network; the BBC; National Galleries of Scotland; The List.

In parallel Chris was also Co-Investigator for the £5m / 5 year (2020-2025) Next Stage Digital Economy Centre DECaDE led by the University of Surrey with the Digital Catapult and University of Edinburgh. DECaDE is interested in decentralised platforms that are enabled by emerging data-centric technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Distributed Ledgers and Blockchain that disrupt our social and cultural economies – including the way we work, interact and create value. Partners included the BBC, Tesco Bank, Nat West Bank, The Bank of England and many SME’s that sustain interests in emerging digital economies.

Chris also led the UK funded £1.1m OxChain project (2016-2020). OxChain was a collaborative research project between the Universities of Edinburgh, Northumbria and Lancaster, and research partners Oxfam, Zero Waste Scotland, Volunteer Scotland and WHALE Arts. By bringing together experts in digital design, cryptography, business and international development we developed new smart contracting donation products and services for Oxfam Australia that was launched as the ‘If / Then / Give’ app for iOS and Android.

Chris’ consultancy work has largely involved supporting organisations to understand how value is created within data-driven economies. His design thinking methods have been hired by private companies, governments and charity organisations including: Oxfam (GB and Aus), NatWest, UKRI, Asian Banking School, Franklin Templeton and Tesco Bank.

He is committed to working with communities to learn how best to support their interests and motivations through respectful and collaborative methods. His work in co-developing projects with the Wester Hailes community in Edinburgh remains a personal highlight of his career.

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Professor
    University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Futures Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom1 Jan 2022 - 31 Dec 2024
  • Professor
    University of Edinburgh, Institute for Design Informatics, Edinburgh, United Kingdom1 Apr 2012 - 31 Dec 2021
  • Reader
    University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, United Kingdom1 Apr 2008 - 31 Mar 2012
  • Senior Lecturer
    Plymouth University, Institute for Digital Art & Technology, Plymouth, United Kingdom1 Aug 2006 - 31 Mar 2008
  • Lecturer
    Plymouth University, School of Computing, Plymouth, United Kingdom1 Aug 1996 - 31 Jul 2024

AVAILABILITY

  • Masters Research or PhD student supervision
  • Collaborative projects
  • Industry Projects
  • Join a web conference as a panellist or speaker
  • Media enquiries
  • Membership of an advisory committee
  • Mentoring (short-term)

UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

  • 10 Reduced Inequalities
  • 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  • 13 Climate Action
  • 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
  • 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
  • 5 Gender Equality
  • 4 Quality Education

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