Professor Paweł Niewczas is an academic and R&D leader specialising in photonics and fibre-optic sensing, measurement and instrumentation, with over 25 years’ experience in managing, executing, and leading research programmes and research consortia. He received his MSc degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Lublin, Poland in 1995 and PhD degree in Optical Current Sensing from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom, in 2000. He leads the Advanced Sensors Team within the Institute for Energy and Environment at the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde.
His research interests centre on the advancement of photonic instrumentation and measurement (I&M) methods and systems integration in applications that lie predominantly in power and energy sectors. He has carried out a unique portfolio of research programmes, generally focusing on optical and fibre-based I&M techniques, addressing sensor design, fabrication, packaging, field-deployment, and delivering complete photonic I&M systems for challenging environments.
The applications of his research include such areas as power system< monitoring, control and protection; wind turbine structural health monitoring; downhole pressure, temperature, voltage and current measurement; and I&M in nuclear fission and fusion environments. He has published over 140 technical papers in these areas and holds 6 granted patents. He is a co- founder and R&D Director of the spin-out company Synaptec that specialises in photonic instrumentation for the energy grid.
Professor Niewczas is Director of the Graduate School in the EEE Department at Strathclyde and Director of the Electrical Power and Energy Systems MSc Programme. He teaches a range of undergraduate and postgraduate classes and is currently supervising five Doctorate students.
He is an academic reviewer of grant applications and technical papers (including TIM) and has significant involvement in conference organisation as Technical Programme Co-chair (TPC) and General Co-chair. He served as an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer (DL) for the Instrumentation and Measurement Society (IMS) in 2007-2012 and 2013-2016; TPC of the IEEE I2MTC 2021-23 and 25; and Associate Editor of the MDPI Sensors Journal (2020-2024). He was General Co-Chair of I2MTC 2024. Paweł also serves on the IMS Faculty Development Award Selection Committee.