Toula Onoufriou

Professor Toula Onoufriou – Head of SmartEN-i is a Professor of Infrastructure Reliability and Management in the Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics at the Cyprus University of Technology and an Academic Visitor at Imperial College (UK).  Professor Onoufriou is also the Founder & Head of EMERGE CoE and President of the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company. She combines experience from academia and the offshore oil and gas industry internationally where she held several positions of high responsibility (Vice Rector, President, Head of Department, Director of Research, Head of Research Centre and Senior Consultant) and she recorded significant professional activity, contribution and recognition at national and international level. Served as member of national councils and expert committees advising the President and the Government of Cyprus on national strategy for energy, oil and gas, research, innovation and entrepreneurship. She was instrumental in bringing together effectively academia, industry and government departments through the development of international collaboration networks and major research programmes.

International distinctions and recognition include the Stanley Gray Award by the Institute of Marine Engineers UK for the best publication in marine technology, the award of the prestigious SmartEN Marie Curie ITN Programme on “Smart Management for Sustainable Human Environment” and Invited Expert Speaker at many high level international fora including United States Congress, European Commission and international conferences on oil and gas developments and smart proactive management of infrastructure systems. She obtained her PhD in Offshore Structures with a scholarship from Imperial College (UK).

She lead several research programmes funded from national sources, the EU and industry. Research interests include smart proactive management of infrastructure systems, combining advanced modelling/analyses, risk and reliability and optimization with monitoring sensor networks for design, assessment and whole life management optimisation of offshore structures, bridges and infrastructure networks; safety and environmental protection of offshore oil and gas operations and management of sustainable marine environment; innovative methods for development of professional and entrepreneurship skills for engineering graduates.