Seminar by Prof. Nick Harris this Friday, November 14, at 3:30 p.m. at COPL-ULaval

This Friday, November 14, starting at 3:30 p.m., the IEEE Quebec Section - Photonics Chapter, INO, and COPL invite you to a seminar featuring renowned professor Nick Harris, an expert in advanced sensor technologies at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. A networking event organized by INO and COPL will conclude the afternoon.

Join us!

When: Friday, November 14, 2025, 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (seminar) / 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. (reception)

Where: Auditorium 1168 - COPL

Université Laval, Pavillon d’optique photonique 2375 rue de la Terrasse, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, CANADA

Abstract

In the light of recent grant calls for joint UK Canada research, this talk will be an overview of some of the work and facilities available at Southampton university, both within his group and wider, to try and stimulate co-operation and collaboration. Facilities include surface and wet etch micromachining, optical fibre sensors. Three projects (Cornerstone – MPW for Photonics, and Microcraft -MPW for microengineering and Soc lab- Open development of Arm based SoC) are or will be accessible and will be of interest. Other aspects of work briefly covered will be our interests in neuromorphic computing devices, efficient quantum algorithms and roll to roll flexible devices.

Biography 

Nick Harris is currently Professor of Advanced Sensor Technologies and Head of the SEMS (Smart Electronic Materials and Systems) group in the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) at Southampton University, UK.

Southampton University is a member of the 20 Research Intensive Russell group universities, and regularly features in the top 3 in the Uks rankings for electronics.

Prof Harris’s research interests have a strong commercial focus and previous positions before Southampton have been in research and consultancy based organisations. He likes to focus on emerging disruptive technologies such as lab on a chip type medical devices and more recently on the combination of novel sensors and machine learning condition monitoring systems for future sustainable lubricants.

He was a founder of Perpetuum Ltd, a spin out that successfully commercialised vibration energy harvesters for condition monitoring applications. Perpetuum was sold in 2020 to Hitachi Rail. He previously held a directorship of D4 Technology Ltd, a consultancy company, whose customers included Dstl, Lockheed Martin, GE Global Research, Perpetuum and Staywell, as well as previously being a director of ECS Partners, the consultancy operation of ECS. He is currently a director of Aspira Aerial Applications and is a Fellow of the IET (FIET) and a chartered engineer (CEng).