Last month, Phil Blythe was awarded the honour of the Order of Commander of the British Empire in the 2022 New Years Honours for services to Science and Engineering in Transport and Government.

Phil Blythe is Professor of Intelligent Transport Systems and has made significant contributions throughout the transport sector, including applying information, communications, and computing technology to this industry. Phil also is Vice President IET and former Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Transport (2015-2021).

Phil commented on this achievement: “I am humbled and greatly honoured that the contribution I’ve made across my academic career, and in the six years I served as Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department for Transport, have been recognised.”

The work of CESI in supporting Phil as Chief Scientific Advisor and influencing government policy on electric vehicles and the importance of recognising that the decarbonising transport challenge also needs government to understand the wider energy system and the interaction of the two, is a key legacy of my time at the DfT.

Phil Blythe is Co-Investigator for CESI and investigates whole system thinking for future energy transport infrastructure for smart cities for WP4. He continues by stating:

Overall, I genuinely believe the DfT and Government as a whole now much better informed and prepared to use new science, engineering and technology to help meet the policy needs going forward than when I joined.

 Onbehalf of CESI, congratulations Phil!