Darren’s work focuses on shaping technologies through interdisciplinary design. His research spans flexible, printed and textile electronics, sustainable manufacturing, and novel energy systems, with a strong emphasis on design-led innovation that broadens access and improves lives.
He began his career in industry, designing two commercially successful electronic products that expanded user access through thoughtful, technology-driven solutions. His first PhD (1994) explored non-invasive blood glucose measurement using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy – an early example of his long-standing commitment to human-centred enabling technologies.
His current research engages with TinyML, an emerging field of energy-efficient, privacy-preserving artificial intelligence. Through interdisciplinary design practice and rigorous technological research, he contributes to shaping responsible AI systems.
Research Portfolio
A selection of research projects undertaken across academia and industry.
Sustainable Manufacturing of Transparent Conducting Oxide (TCO) Inks and Thin Films
- Funding Period: March 2014 – August 2019
- Lead Research Organisation: University College London
- Total Funding: £2,281,220 (Loughborough University received £1.1 Million)
- EPSRC Grant Reference: EP/L017709/1
- Principal Investigator: Prof. Claire Jane Carmalt (UCL)
- Co-Investigators: Ivan Parkin (UCL), Darren Southee, Jawwad Darr (UCL), Russell Harris, Panagiota Angeli (UCL), Eric Fraga (UCL), Paul Conway (Lboro PI), David Hutt, Upul Wijayantha-Kahagala-Gamage
Interdisciplinary: Challenges & Opportunities for Design Education (International Collaboration)
- Funding period: October 2014 - September 2016
- UNIST (South Korea) and Loughborough University (Design School)
- Grant PI: James Self (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea)
- Loughborough PI: Thomas Jun, Co-I: Darren Southee (165 Hours)
- Loughborough funding received: £45,022
This collaborative project was funded by the National Research Council of Korea. The project aimed to improve interdisciplinary competences at the undergraduate level by comparing pedagogical approaches. The study explored the potential drivers for and barriers to interdisciplinary education in design from the student learning perspective.
Broadening Integration of Printed Power Sources with Electronic Systems: Rechargeable Printed Power Sources
- Funding Period: March 2014 – December 2014
In December 2013, the final IeMRC call was announced. Darren’s project was selected and awarded £14,820
Powerweave – Development of Textiles for Electrical Energy Generation and Storage
- Funding period: June 2012 – November 2015
- Total Funding: €5,493,353 (with Brunel University receiving €408,250 and Loughborough University accounting for €24,528 of my time (248 hours))
- Grant Lead: TWI LIMITED UK (The Welding Institute)
The Powerweave project, funded by the EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), focused on developing textiles capable of generating and storing electrical energy.
EPSRC (IeMRC) Funded Projects
While at Brunel University, Darren successfully secured two EPSRC (IeMRC) grants related to printed electronics and battery research:
- Lithographically Printed Integrated Electronics, 2006–2008
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Darren Southee
- Funding: £125,000
- Lithographically Printed Voltaic Cells (Batteries), 2005–2006
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Darren Southee
- Funding: £52,166
PaperWorks
PaperWorks (EU STREP FP6-516895) aimed to enhance a seemingly mundane, but ubiquitous resource to support everyday work, interaction and collaboration - paper.
- Funding period: April 2005 – April 2008
- Total Funding: €2.4 million (€200,000 received by Brunel University)
- Project Partners included: King's College London, United Kingdom, Acreo AB, Sweden, Anoto AB, Sweden, Arjowiggins SAS, France and United Kingdom, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, Malmo University, Sweden, Pearson Education and Edexcel, United Kingdom
Darren, as a Co-Investigator at Brunel University, led a work package that designed and fabricated an Augmented Newspaper Reader for Pearson Financial Times subscribers. The prototyped reader was demonstrated to the Project Partners and Grant Reviewers.
Darren has extensive teaching experience at Loughborough University. He was Programme Leader for the BSc Product Design & Technology course (2010–2015), Programme Leader for the PGT MA Industrial Design & Technology (2015–2018), and Founder, Champion, and Inaugural Programme Leader for the IED-accredited MSc Integrated Industrial Design Programme (2018–2022). He has taught across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including:
- Integrated Industrial Design Major Project (MSc IID)
- Design for AI Products (MSc IID, MSc UX)
- Shaping Technologies in Society (BA ID, BA Design Part B)
- Applications of Mechanics & Electronics for Designers (BSc Part C)
- Final Year Design Practice (BSc Project Part C)
- Electronics, Programming & Interfacing (BSc Part B)
- Electronics for Designers (BSc Part A)
Darren is an invited Fellow (F.Inst.C.T) and keynote speaker. Since 2018, he has been an active member of the OE-A Working Group Education, promoting training education activities in the field of printed electronics to build bridges between academia, science and industry to encourage international education activities in Europe. In 2024, Henkel AG and the OE-A Working Group Education organised the “Student Open Innovation Challenge” for graduate students. To bring their ideas to life, the students were provided with the Henkel Sensor Kit, which included printed sensors. Winners MSc IID Students Loughborough Patient Monitoring System
He has demonstrated sustained leadership in building interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research communities. In 2022, he was invited to represent SDCA at inter-university AI research initiatives and led the conception and delivery of the AI for SBE–SDCA event (2023), convening Academic researchers across DCA and Business and Economics to catalyse collaboration around AI research.
Earlier, as the ADR-appointed Design School EPSRC LEADeR Champion (2012), he secured funding to lead an international initiative to raise the global visibility of Loughborough Design School research, working with leading Design Schools worldwide to establish a shared strategic framework for interdisciplinary research. These activities demonstrate his ability to lead people, shape research agendas, create lasting institutional impact.
Current:
Chananchida Promma: TinyML and Design Practice
Benjamin Keyser: Democratising Repair
Bonnie Chan: How high-street retailers can enhance consumers’ personalised experience (e.g. product co-creation) through AI
Ahmad Muzammil Roslan, PhD: Artificial Intelligence-Aided Design: Investigating the Implications of Artificial Intelligence on the Design and Development Process.
Completions:
Fay Claybrook, October 2024. PhD: Enhancing Patient Specific Diabetic Foot Insoles through Customised Additive Manufacturing for Improved Cushioning Properties.
Naomi Howard, June 2024. PhD: An Investigation into the Mediated Control of Evaporative Self-Assembly in Carbon Nanoparticle Suspensions
Umur Cicek, April 2024 PhD: Smart Personal Protection: Integrating Additive Manufactured Printable Electronics
Paulo Luis, March 2023. PhD: Flexible Screen Printed Supercapacitors
Ryan Middlemiss, April 2021. PhD: Materials, Processes, and Ink Formulation for Viable, Manufacturable Passive & Active Printed Electronics
Kevin Badni, June 2020. PhD: by published works (Adviser): The effective use of 3D data in Visual Communication
Jack McGhee March 2020 PhD: Conducting Metal Oxide Materials for Printed Electronics
Alessandro Carelli, Dec 2019. PhD: Guidelines for the design of privacy management tools for smartphone devices
Daniel Kraszewski, July 2019 PhD: Design Strategies for the Exploration of Product Meaning in Meaning-driven Innovation
Dona Subhashi Yashodha Jayathilake, December 2017. PhD: Sustainable Manufacture of Transparent Conducting Oxide
Nicola York, July 2017. PhD: The Impact of Printed Electronics on Product Design
Lou Ke, June 2016. PhD: Design-oriented New Product Development Strategy in Chinese Small and Medium Enterprises
Mary Beth Privitera, July 2015. PhD (P/T International): Enabling Collaborative Medical Device Design
Other:
2014- 2020: Darren played a significant role in the successful Loughborough University EPSRC CDT- Embedded Intelligence application bringing a Design perspective to the table and the Design School into the PhD cohort arena (55 funded PhDs)