Dr. Mike Tennant

Biography

Mike Tennant works half-time in the Centre for Environmental Policy and co-convenes the Business Environment Option MSc in Environmental Technology. He serves as the Vice-Dean for Education in the Faculty of Natural Sciences. With a background in natural sciences and a focus on interdisciplinary training, he has developed a strong interest in systems thinking, complexity, innovation, and sustainability in organizational contexts. His work emphasizes understanding the complex nature of environmental and social contexts in which organizations operate, and he designs interventions informed by these key aspects to cope with sustainability challenges. Mike is particularly interested in utilizing and developing creativity and systems tools to design innovative products, services, and policies that meet environmental and social needs. He is the lead investigator for the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability, focusing on the role of manufacturing industries in a constrained world. Mike has supervised PhD students who investigated social inclusivity within the circular economy and resilient urban design, as well as environmentally-focused social movements. He holds a PhD in Theoretical Chemistry from the University of Manchester and has spent 14 years in research management roles within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in the UK and USA, leading research teams and directing multi-disciplinary research in areas such as diabetes and anti-bacterials while also contributing to biotechnology startups in California. His shift back to academia was motivated by a desire to explore how businesses can support the growing sustainability movement.

Research Interests