GUEST OVERVIEW: James Woudhuysen is a physics graduate, and a visiting professor of forecasting and innovation at the School of Engineering at London South Bank University.
He is also a broadcaster and the author of several books and predicts the future economics, technology and sociology of innovation, specialising in energy, IT, transport and the office.
An editor of Design magazine and a founder of Blueprint, he was later head of worldwide market intelligence at Philips consumer electronics, Eindhoven, the Netherlands. James wrote about North Sea oil for The Economist, and is co-author of Energise! A future for energy innovation (Beautiful Books, 2009). In making keynote speeches and consulting about energy, he has worked for Accenture, Arup, BDR Thermea/Baxi, Geothermal Engineering Ltd, the International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies, National Grid and SAP. He frequently writes on energy for Spiked.

James Woudhuysen Visiting professor, London South Bank University; journalist; occasional broadcaster for Radio 4. St Paul’s School scholar; helped install Britain’s first computer-controlled car park, 1968; graduated in physics. Editor, Design, 1979-82; co-founder, Blueprint magazine. Multi-client study, e-commerce, for the designers Fitch, 1988; proposed Web TV, Henley Centre for Forecasting, 1993. Chief, worldwide market intelligence, Philips Consumer Electronics, the Netherlands, 1995-7. Director, product designers Seymour Powell, 1997-2001. Independent since 2001.

Writing: Applied Ergonomics, Computing, Cultural Trends, The Economist, The Institute of Mechanical Engineers Journal, Long Range Planning, New Civil Engineer, The Times, The Independent and The Guardian.