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Leila Sheldrick is a designer, engineer, and researcher working at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and futures thinking. She leads the Strategic Futures Design Lab at Imperial College London, developing pioneering work that harnesses emerging technologies and practices to shape sustainable and equitable futures in design. Her research spans design processes, strategic foresight, and sustainable systems, exploring the roles of designers and engineers in the future. She has led interdisciplinary projects focusing on circular economy and decision-making in design, creating tools to support reflection, communication, and long-term thinking within innovation teams. In addition to her academic pursuits, Leila is an experienced consultant and strategic advisor, collaborating with organizations such as Atkins, SSEN, and Triumph Motorcycles on challenges ranging from sustainable product development to scenario planning for equitable energy transitions. She is dedicated to bridging the gap between research, industry, and education to enable responsible and creative design practices. As a founding academic at the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Leila has helped shape the growth of school programs and has developed eleven new taught modules, co-leading the creation of MSc degrees. Since 2018, she has served as the Director of Global Innovation Design, a pioneering postgraduate course delivered in partnership with several international institutions.
Specialisms available in Materials for the Energy Transition or Theory and Simulation of Materials.