Professor Minoo Patel FREng, BSc, PhD, CEng, FIMechE, FRINA, Hon RNC

Non-Executive Director

Minoo Patel is a Non-Executive Director of Cranfield Aerospace Ltd and has served on the board since 2nd September 2004.

Professor Patel, aged 56, is Head of the School of Engineering at Cranfield University. In this role, he manages a large proportion of the aerospace research and development engineering carried out by the University. With more than 240 staff, the School of Engineering holds the largest concentration of university based aerospace expertise in Europe with research groups working in aerospace sciences, aircraft design, air transport, aircraft propulsion and human factors. He is an Independent Director of a large multi-national company, Keppel Offshore and Marine Ltd, a Non-Executive Director of BPP Technical Services Ltd and is a Director of Cranfield Engineering Innovations Ltd.

Minoo Patel started his career as an aerodynamicist and subsequently worked on the determination of aerodynamic gust loads on aircraft wings before opting for a change of career to offshore mechanics. He applied his aerodynamics training to offshore mechanics by devising and patenting combined air/water flotation systems for enhancing the performance of floating offshore platforms. This was combined with research on offshore oil and gas exploration and production platforms and the umbilicals and risers used to connect these to wells located on the seabed in very deep water. He has an output of over 110 research papers, 2 books and 8 Patents.

In 1989, he established a 'science park' Company to exploit industrial applications based on the output of his research and directed its development into an internationally respected independent entity. His current research and work for industry is on combined air and water borne high speed vehicles and on aspects of maritime Unmanned Air and Surface Vehicles.

Minoo Patel was awarded a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering in 1970 and a PhD in unsteady boundary layers in 1973 - both at the University of London. He became a Chartered Engineer in 1980 and was appointed an Honorary Member of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors in 1996 and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1999. He is married with two children and enjoys flying both gliders and powered aircraft.