• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and intelligent system applications in power engineering
• Engineering application of data science and data analytics
• Condition monitoring, diagnostics and prognostics for equipment, plant and power networks
• Distributed intelligence in electric power systems, active network management and Smart Grids
• Nuclear power plant monitoring, diagnosis, prediction, and lifetime extension
• Intelligent system methods: knowledge based systems; model based reasoning; machine learning
• Multi-Agent Systems and Intelligent Agents: multi-agent methods, models, techniques and architectures for power engineering applications
• Decision support environments

Stephen McArthur is Distinguished Professor of Intelligent Energy Systems at the University of Strathclyde. His main area of expertise is applying artificial intelligence in power and energy systems. He has delivered solutions for a range of smart grid, asset management and data analytic challenges. His research now concerns the customisation of artificial intelligence techniques combined with distributed intelligence architectures to provide decision support for energy and wider industrial applications.

He won the 2021 IEEE Richard Harold Kaufmann Award for outstanding contributions in industrial systems engineering, “for innovative contributions to the advancement of intelligent systems for power engineering applications”.

He is the Principal Investigator leading the UKRI EnergyREV programme. This brings together 22 universities and 32 investigators to deliver novel research and innovation that will accelerate the uptake, value and impact of Smart Local Energy Systems. EnergyREV is a key component of the UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) programme. PFER intends to prove investable, scalable local business models using integrated approaches to deliver cleaner, cheaper energy services.

In addition, he is the Director of the joint Strathclyde and Imperial College EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Power Networks and Smart Grids. This aims to train doctoral level engineers who can realise the future low carbon smart grid. He is also the Academic Director of the Advanced Nuclear Research Centre at Strathclyde, which delivers academic and industry collaborative programmes focused on plant lifetime extension and improved operations in the nuclear industry. 

Within the University he is a Deputy Associate Principal for Research, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation with a remit including REF 2021 preparation and EPSRC relationship management. He also leads the Industrial Informatics Cluster within the University. Previously, from August 2011 until June 2014, he was the Head of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering.

My teaching activities cover intelligent systems, distributed intelligence in power systems, smart grids, condition monitoring, and diagnostic systems.

• Intelligent systems, with a focus on power and energy applications.
• Research and development of diagnostic and prognostic decision support systems.
• Decision support frameworks and architectures, using distributed intelligence methods and platforms.
• Smart Grid applications.
• Plant lifetime extension in the civil nuclear industry.