Prof. Vinesh H. Raja,
BSc, MSc, PhD, Eur Ing, CEng, FIMechE, MBCS, FRSA, FRSH, SMSME
Professorial Fellow, Warwick Manufacturing Group


Professor Raja is a Professorial Fellow in Informatics at the University of Warwick. He is in-charge of the Informatics Group, which encompasses the Virtual Reality Centre (VRC) and the Collaborative Product Commerce Centre at the Warwick Manufacturing Group. He focuses on augmenting and extending everyday, learning and work activities with interactive technologies that move 'beyond the desktop'. This involves designing enhanced user experiences through appropriating and assembling a diversity of technologies including haptics, handheld and pervasive computing. The main focus of his research is not the technology per se but the design and integration of the digital representations that are presented via them to support social and cognitive activities in ways that extend current capabilities.

Prof. Raja was responsible for defining the strategy and technology vision for the globally branded B2B Manufacturing Centre and its associated global virtual community of practice both at Teesside and Warwick. Founded in 2003, this Centre provided the anchor for a world-renowned knowledge base and a global virtual community of practice besides playing the role of the leading sponsor of world-class conferences and hi-tech organizations, products and services.

As one of the top education, community and Informatics researcher who constitutes the Founding Members of the Technology Application Network, he serves on the core team defining the standard that codifies the best practices used by industries in technology transfer. His service on advisory panels of global significance includes Basic Technologies for DTI, Technology Programme for DTI, Advanced Visualisation Network (EPSRC), Sun Microsystems Visualisation Panel, etc.

Author of over one hundred articles, speeches, and multimedia scripts, Vinesh Raja has been widely published and referenced on Informatics and Virtual Reality related issues and is the lead author of a forthcoming book on Reverse Engineering in Manufacturing. His interviews have been published in worldwide business and technology publications and the British Broadcasting Corporation. His expert comments and Internet-based initiatives on E-Business and Knowledge Management have also been featured in global media on six continents.

Over the last 20 years, Prof. Raja has led and participated in standards development for E-Business and Knowledge Management initiatives in the UK consulting industry and global Information Systems development projects for industries across USA, Europe, Singapore, Thailand, India and South Korea. His consulting background has spanned hi-tech start-ups and Fortune 100 and multinationals in Software Development, Virtual Reality, Healthcare Systems, Information Technology Outsourcing, Automobile Manufacturing and Industrial Machinery.

Prof. Raja has taught in engineering schools at, the University of Warwick, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Jilin University, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. He is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE), the Royal Society for Promotion of Health (FRSH) and the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). He has received several fellowships, awards and honours for scholarship, research and practice in Informatics and Technology Innovation.