Bristol Professor appointed as one of the European Commission’s Chief Scientific Advisors

Professor Dimitra SimeonidouUniversity of Bristol

Press release issued: 23 May 2025

Professor Dimitra Simeonidou, Director of the Smart Internet Lab at the University of Bristol, has been appointed as Chief Scientific Advisor to the European Commission playing a key role in contributing to science-driven EU policy making and legislation.

She will join six other outstanding scientists, across a wide range of disciplines, who will provide high-quality, timely and independent scientific advice to the College of European Commissioners on policy issues that the European Parliament and the Council consider to be of major importance.

Professor Simeonidou was awarded an OBE last month in recognition of her pioneering research into communications technologies research and scientific policy which has included high-performance networks, programmable networks, 5G/6G, and smart city infrastructures. As well as leading the Smart Internet Lab, she was also co-founder of the University’s Bristol Digital Future Institute (BDFI).

In the past several years, she is also actively working on cross-disciplinary topics addressing digital transformation for society and businesses.

In addition, Dimitra has been a member of the UK Government Supply Chain Diversification Advisory Council, a founding member of the UK Telecoms Innovation Network and member of the OFCOM Spectrum Advisory Board. She has led major research projects funded by UK Government and the EC. She is currently coordinating the DSIT REASON project developing blueprint architectures and technologies for 6G and the EPSRC JOINER project, aiming to establish a UK-wide experimentation platform for future networks research and innovation.

Professor Simeonidou is the author and co-author of over 700 publications, numerous patents and several contributions to standards. She has been co-founder of three spin-out companies developing solutions for connected smart infrastructures. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), a Fellow of the IEEE (FIEEE), Fellow of WWRF and member of UKCRC.

Professor Simeonidou said: “I am deeply honoured to serve as Chief Scientific Advisor to the European Commission. At a time when evidence-based policy is essential to address the climate crisis, accelerate digital transformation, safeguard public health, and protect our democracy and shared values.

“I look forward to working within the Scientific Advice Mechanism, the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors and the Academies across Europe to ensure that the best science underpins every decision we make. Together, we can turn knowledge into meaningful action that improves lives, strengthens our competitiveness, and reaffirms Europe’s leadership in the world stage.”