Dr Huifeng Shi

Career Profile

Huifeng Shi currently serves as Research Development Project Manager in the Provost’s Office at Imperial College London, where he is responsible for the organisation, coordination, and advancement of institution-wide research development initiatives. He has accumulated extensive experience in international research collaboration and the integration of innovation resources. 

Previously, he worked in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London as a Senior Project Manager and Researcher. With a strong track record of delivering high-impact research and translating it into industrial applications, he combines technical expertise with strategic leadership, making him particularly effective in roles that require both innovation and execution.

At Imperial College, Huifeng Shi has led and coordinated multiple Innovate UK and industry-funded projects, where he was directly responsible for project delivery, stakeholder management, and impact generation. He has successfully secured over £1.5 million in funding and played a key role in ensuring projects are completed on time, within scope, and aligned with industrial needs. A core strength lies in his ability to bridge the gap between academia and industry—turning complex research outcomes into deployable solutions.

He is highly experienced in managing cross-functional and international teams, working with diverse stakeholders ranging from academic researchers to industrial engineers and senior decision-makers. His strong communication and organisational skills enable him to drive collaboration, resolve technical and operational challenges, and maintain long-term partnerships.

Before joining Imperial College, he served as Executive Deputy Director of a National Key Laboratory in China, where he led large-scale R&D programmes and developed strong capabilities in research strategy, team leadership, and institutional coordination. His earlier experience in aerospace enterprises further strengthened his expertise in complex systems, engineering management, and technology commercialisation.

Key strengths:

• Project leadership and delivery in complex R&D environments
• Industry collaboration and technology transfer
• Strategic planning and funding acquisition
• Cross-disciplinary problem-solving
• International collaboration and stakeholder engagement

Academic Achievements

Huifeng Shi's research portfolio is distinguished by its breadth, depth, and interdisciplinary impact, spanning artificial intelligence, big data analytics, advanced manufacturing, aerospace systems, and radar remote sensing. His work demonstrates a consistent focus on leveraging data-driven intelligence to solve complex engineering challenges.

In the field of advanced manufacturing and digital engineering, Dr. Shi has made pioneering contributions to the development of digital characteristics (DC) frameworks and data-driven methodologies for metal forming processes. His research has introduced innovative approaches for extracting latent value from fragmented and incomplete manufacturing data, enabling intelligent optimisation of processes such as hot stamping. These contributions have significantly advanced the digital transformation of manufacturing systems, enhancing both efficiency and predictive capability.

In artificial intelligence and machine learning, Dr. Shi has contributed to state-of-the-art research on deep neural networks and hardware acceleration, including influential work on FPGA-based acceleration of convolutional neural networks. His research has improved computational efficiency and scalability, supporting real-time and high-performance AI applications.

He has also achieved notable breakthroughs in aerospace and radar remote sensing, particularly in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging, sea surface modelling, and target detection. His work includes advanced algorithms for ship detection, small target tracking, and electromagnetic scattering modelling, as well as intelligent data fusion techniques for remote sensing applications. These contributions have enhanced the accuracy and robustness of sensing systems in complex and dynamic environments.

Furthermore, his research extends to UAV-based radar systems, satellite networks, and atmospheric prediction models, where he has developed innovative solutions for resource optimisation, signal processing, and environmental prediction using hybrid data sources.

With an extensive publication record in leading journals and conferences such as IEEE Transactions, Computers in Industry, and Journal of Manufacturing Systems, he is recognised for his ability to deliver high-impact, forward-looking research. His work is characterised by originality, technical sophistication, and strong application relevance, positioning him at the forefront of interdisciplinary innovation across digital manufacturing and intelligent sensing systems.

Publications

1.    Lei Lei, Liangrong Wang, Jiawei Sun, Huifeng Shi: Optimization of laser-assisted clinching process for 5182 aluminum alloy, Materials and Manufacturing Processes, Volume 41, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1080/10426914.2026.2632603
2. Heli Liu, Saksham Dhawan, Xiao Yang, Denis J Politis, Maxim Weill, Yang Zheng, Xiaochuan Liu, Huifeng Shi, Lemeng Zhang, Xiangnan Yu, Shamsuddeen Muhammad, Liliang Wang: ‘Genetic exploration’of metal forming processes through information absent and fragmental data processing, Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 2025/4/1 -79, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmsy.2025.01.014

2. Heli Liu, Xiao Yang, Denis Politis, Huifeng Shi, Liliang Wang: An evaluation scheme incorporating digital characteristics for transient tribological behaviours under complex loading conditions for the hot stamping process, Computers in Industry,2025/5/1 -167, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2025.104270

3. Heli Liu, Xiao Yang, Maxim Weill, Shengzhe Li, Vincent Wu, Denis J Politis, Huifeng Shi, Zhichao Zhang, Liliang Wang: Unlocking inherent values of manufacturing metadata through digital characteristics (DC) alignment, Computers in Industry, 2024/12/1 – 163, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2024.104148 

4.  Heli Liu, Xiaochuan Liu, Xiao Yang, Denis J Politis, Yang Zheng, Saksham Dhawan, Huifeng Shi, Liliang Wang: Mapping the hot stamping process through developing distinctive digital characteristics, Computers in Industry, 2024/10/1 -161, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2024.104121

5. Heli Liu, Xiao Yang, Denis J Politis, Huifeng Shi, Liliang Wang: Evaluation framework of digital characteristics (DC) enhanced lubricant: Consideration of essential geometric features for hot-stamped components, Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 2024/8/1 – 75, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmsy.2024.06.008

6. Zhaoyu Wang, Xiangnan Yu, Heli Liu, Xiao Yang, Yuhai Jin, Huifeng Shi, Denis J Politis, Liliang Wang: Pathway to the Zero Emission Utopia: a review, Manufacturing Review, 2024-9-23, https://doi.org/10.1051/mfreview/2024016

7. Xiao Yang, LeMeng Zhang, Heli Liu, Denis J Politis, Mohammad M Gharbi, Huifeng Shi, LiLiang Wang: Effect of tooling temperature on the transient lubricant behavior in hot metal forming processes, 2023/4 – 94, https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202200306

8. Shuanglong Liu; Hongxiang Fan; Martin Ferianc; Xinyu Niu; Huifeng Shi; Wayne Luk: Toward Full-Stack Acceleration of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks on FPGAs, IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems ( Volume: 33, Issue: 8, August 2022), Page(s): 3974 – 3987, DOI: 10.1109/TNNLS.2021.3055240

9. Yuhua Guo, Xin Liu, Huifeng Shi, Shichao Jin： SAR Imaging Features of Non-Gaussian Height Sea Surface, IGARSS 2022 - 2022 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Date of Conference: 17-22 July 2022, DOI: 10.1109/IGARSS46834.2022.9883838, ISBN:978-1-6654-2793-7

10.  Huifeng Shi：Short-term and local rainfall probability prediction based on a dislocation support vector machine model using satellite and in-situ observational data,  IEEE Access, On page(s): 1-3，Print ISSN: 2169-3536 

11. Yao Zhang; Dunge Liu; Zhenghuan Xia; Tao Zhang; Zhilong Zhao; Yuhua Guo; Xin Liu, Yuqian Yang, Kejia Zhang, Huifeng Shi: Long-Time Coherent Integration Algorithm for Sea Surface Maneuvering Small Target Based on Dynamic Programming, 2021 IEEE 4th International Conference on Electronics Technology (ICET), Date of Conference: 07-10 May 2021, DOI: 10.1109/ICET51757.2021.9451029, ISBN:978-1-7281-7674-1

12. Yu-Qian Yang; Zhenghuan Xia;Zhilong Zhao; Tao Zhang; Ke Li; Xin Yin; Huifeng Shi:  Intelligent Resource Management and Optimization of Clustered UAV Airborne SAR System, 2021 IEEE 4th International Conference on Electronics Technology (ICET), Date of Conference: 07-10 May 2021, DOI: 10.1109/ICET51757.2021.9451105, ISBN:978-1-7281-7674-1

13. Dunge Liu; Xin Liu; Yao Zhang; Zhenghua Xia; Zhilong Zhao; Tao Zhang; Yuqian Yang; Huifeng Shi: Localization Estimation of Magnetic Targets Using Airborne Magnetic Anomaly Detection, 2021 IEEE 4th International Conference on Electronics Technology (ICET), Date of Conference: 07-10 May 2021, DOI: 10.1109/ICET51757.2021.9451092; ISBN:978-1-7281-7674-1

14. Pengming Feng;Youtian Lin;Guangjun He;Jian Guan;Jin Wang;Huifeng Shi: A Dynamic End-to-End Fusion Filter for Local Climate Zone Classification Using SAR and Multi-Spectrum Remote Sensing Data, IGARSS 2020 - 2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Date of Conference: 26 September 2020 - 02 October 2020, DOI: 10.1109/IGARSS39084.2020.9324427, ISBN:978-1-7281-6375-8

15. Yuhua Guo;Huifeng Shi; Luyun Tian;Jiachuan Liu: Research on Composite Electromagnetic Scattering Computation of Sea Surface and Ship Target, IGARSS 2020 - 2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Date of Conference: 26 September 2020 - 02 October 2020, DOI: 10.1109/IGARSS39084.2020.9324177, ISBN:978-1-7281-6375-8

16. Pengming Feng, Youtian Lin, Jian Guan, Guangjun He, Huifeng Shi, Jonathon Chambers：TOSO: Student’s-T Distribution Aided One-Stage Orientation Target Detection in Remote Sensing Images，IEEE ICASSP 2020 Paper #5021: Paper: MLSP-P12.4

17. Tingting Zhang, Jie Yin, Huifeng Shi, Zhihui Liu, Tao Dong, "Routing algorithms with efficient resource utilization for LEO satellite networks," Proc. SPIE 11068, Second Symposium on Novel Technology of X-Ray Imaging, 110680X (10 May 2019); doi: 10.1117/12.2524007 

18. Huifeng Shi; Guangjun He; Pengming Feng; Jin Wang: An On-Orbit Ship Detection and Classification Algorithm for Sar Satellite, IGARSS 2019 - 2019 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Date of Conference: 28 July 2019 - 02 August 2019, DOI: 10.1109/IGARSS.2019.8899008, ISBN:978-1-5386-9155-7

19. Guoqing Hu, Huifeng Shi, Jie Yin, Yuwei Su, Tingting Zhang, Jingwen He, Zhihui Liu, "Continuously bandwidth-tunable pulse generation from a SWNT mode-locked fiber laser," Proc. SPIE 11068, Second Symposium on Novel Technology of X-Ray Imaging, 110680F (10 May 2019); doi: 10.1117/12.2523172

20. Zhenghuan Xia;Zhilong Zhao;Ke Li;Tao Zhang;Dunge Liu;Yan Hao; Huifeng Shi: A novel non-uniform hybrid sampling technology for the high-resolution mini-SAR system, 2019 6th Asia-Pacific Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar (APSAR), Date of Conference: 26-29 November 2019, DOI: 10.1109/APSAR46974.2019.9048303, ISBN:978-1-7281-2913-6

21. Tao Zhang; Zhenghuan Xia;Zhilong Zhao;Ke Li; Dunge Liu; Huifeng Shi; Yuehua Qiu; Tao Peng: Dual-Frequency Interferometric Performance Simulation of UAV Dupa-SAR, 2019 6th Asia-Pacific Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar (APSAR), Date of Conference: 26-29 November 2019, DOI: 10.1109/APSAR46974.2019.9048465, ISBN:978-1-7281-2913-6

22. Ruizhe Zhao; Shuanglong Liu; Ho-Cheung Ng; Erwei Wang; James J. Davis; Xinyu Niu; Xiwei Wang; Huifeng Shi; George A. Constantinides; Peter Y. K. Cheung; Wayne Luk: Hardware Compilation of Deep Neural Networks: An Overview, Date of IEEE Conference: 10-12 July 2018, DOI: 10.1109/ASAP.2018.8445088, Electronic ISSN: 2160-052X

23.  Pengming Feng, Youtian Lin, Jian Guan, Guangjun He, Zhenghuan Xia, Huifeng Shi: Embranchment CNN based Local Climate Zone Classification using SAR and Multispectral Remote Sensing Data, IGARSS 2019 Paper #2898

24. Y. Guo, H. Wang, H. Ma, K. Li, Z. Xia, Y. Hao, H. Guo, H. Shi, X. Liao, and H. Yue: SAR Image Simulation of Ship Targets Based on Multi-path Scattering, The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-3-447-2018.

25. Ruizhe Zhao, Wayne Luk, Xinyu Niu, Huifeng Shi, Haitao Wang: Hardware Acceleration for Machine Learning, IEEE Computer Society Annual Symposium on VLSI (ISVLSI) 2017: 645-650 DOI: 10.1109/ISVLSI.2017.127 Electronic ISSN: 2159-3477