Shell UTC

Shell University Technology Centre (UTC) for Mobility and Lubricants

The Shell University Technology Centre for Mobility and Lubricants (M&L UTC) cements longstanding relationships between Shell scientists and Imperial researchers. The UTC sits within the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and interacts closely with the Tribology Group, Thermofluids Group, and the Dyson School of Design Engineering. The UTC offers Shell a structured and systematic way-of-working, which delivers technical insight and fundamental understanding, to inform the development of future performance fluids for multiple applications.

Shell has set the target to become a net-zero energy business by 2050 or sooner, broken down into short-, medium- and long-term goals to reduce the carbon intensity (or net carbon footprint) of their energy products. To achieve these targets, Shell will need technology solutions and innovations in multiple areas and believes that successful partnerships, such as this with Imperial, are key to success.

The centre is governed by a framework agreement between Imperial and Shell. The funding from Shell supports day-to-day operation of the Centre and a number of PhD and post-doctoral researchers who work on projects under the UTC umbrella. The framework agreement allows for a wide range of projects that can vary in duration from a few months to three years not only in the Mechanical Engineering department but in other faculties within the College. The UTC was established in September 2013, renewed in 2018, in 2021 and most recently in 2026. 

In 2020, Shell produced a short video to highlight this successful partnership.In 2021, Imperial College London, Diamond Light Source, and Shell received £4.2M in research funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for the INFUSE: Interface with the Future - Underpinning Science to Support the Energy transition project. A full press release announcing the INFUSE project can be found here.

Shell UTC Promotional Video

Core UTC Personnel:

• Dr Wei Song – M&L UTC Research Manager and Technology Manager Innovation, Shell
• Dr Eliane Gendreau – M&L Research Manager and Project Lead Innovation, Shell
• Professor Daniele Dini - M&L UTC Co-Director and Head of the Tribology Group
• Professor Hugh Spikes - M&L UTC Co-Director and Professor of Tribology

Shell Researchers:

• Dr Roger Cracknell - Principal Science Fellow, Shell
• Dr Rob Doel – Senior Emobility Application Scientist, Shell
• Dr Volker Null – Technology Manager Thermal Fluids, Shell
• Dr Rihard Pasaribu – Team Leader Product Application Specialists Industry and Transport EMEA

Imperial Academics:

• Dr Janet Wong - Reader in the Tribology Group
• Dr Marc Masen - Reader in the Tribology Group
• Dr Tom Reddyhoff - Reader in the Tribology Group
• Professor Amir Kadiric – Professor in the Tribology Group
• Professor Philippa Cann - Principal Research Fellow in the Tribology Group

• Dr Billy Wu - Reader in Dyson School of Design Engineering
• Professor Pavlos Aleiferis - Professor of Thermofluids

Imperial Research Staff:

• Dr Jie Zhang (Jason) - Research Associate

• Dr Carlos Corral-Casas – Research Assistant

Imperial PhD Students:

• Paul-Anaël Pogu

• Fionn Carman​

• Calum Green​

• Charles Parfitt​

• Andrea Zovko​

• Zhaoran (Janet) Zhu

• Yun (Cloud) Zhao

• Catarina Duarte Nunes​

• Filimonas Kaliafetis​

• Chung Yan (Minnie) Leung​

• Vojin Lukic​

• Ali Panahi​

• Kinza Jamil​

• Jeevan Purewal

Former Members:

• Dr Artemis Kontou
• Dr Joanna Dawcyz
• Dr James Ewen
• Dr Li Shen
• Dr Johan Guegan
• Dr Jon Dench
• Dr Mao Ueda 
• Dr Nigel Marx
• Dr Pauline Cusseau
• Dr Stephen Jeffreys

• Dr Anna Tomaszewska

• Dr Charlotte Roe

• Dr Muhammad Rizwanur Rahman

• Dr Robert Gutierrez

• Dr Rory McAllister

• Dr Stavros Bontitsopoulos

• Dr Eliane Gendreau

• Dr Ben Collard

• Dr Bastien Bolle

• Dr Amran Mohamed

• Dr Manoj Murali

• Dr Stavros Ntioudis
• Dr Neal Morgan - Former UTC Research Manager Shell
• Dr Michael Parkes - Research Scientist, Shell
• Dr Ian Taylor - Former Technology Manager, Shell

• Bob Mainwaring – Former Senior Principal Scientific Expert Lubricants Innovation, Shell

• Dr Sarah Mattews – Former M&L UTC Research Manager

• Dr Caroline Zinser – Former M&L UTC Focal Point

Location: Room 456, City and Guilds Building, Imperial College London