Professor Paul Egglestone comes to UON via University of Central Lancashire where he was Director of Research and Innovation, College of Culture and the Creative Industries and Chair of Creative and Digital Technologies.

His research interests focus on issues surrounding the creation and use of information technologies to both empower individual citizens and promote democratic ideals recognising the potential that ever-more affordable media technologies bring to democratising access to public debate as they connect people in new and interesting ways.

He is a founding member of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) Media Innovation Hub. I am also a founder member of the Drones and Aerial Robotics Conference steering committee and a steering group member of EU COST ACTION FP1104 leading on innovation. He leads the National Endowment in Science & Technology for the Arts (NESTA) strategic partnership for the School of Journalism and Media. He is a peer reviewer for the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and a reviewer for 2 journals. Previously I was a member of steering group for Lancashire Economic Partnerships New Media and ICT group and led the Media Group of Northern Edge, the Centre of Professional Excellence for Creative and Cultural Industries.