Stephen Evans

Catch Stephen on Do Radio: It's Not About Trees with John Lunn 27-02 November 2025.

Professor Steve Evans is Director of Research in Industrial Sustainability at the Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, where he leads the Centre for Industrial Sustainability. With over 40 years of experience improving industrial performance — from factory floors to policy advisory boards — he is one of the UK’s foremost voices on systemic transformation and sustainable industry.

Before joining academia, Steve spent 12 years in manufacturing, including as Engineering Systems Manager at Martin-Baker Engineering, makers of the world’s ejection seats. He later became Professor of Life Cycle Engineering at Cranfield University before moving to Cambridge in 2011. His research explores how businesses can transition from being “less unsustainable” to regenerative — creating industries that restore the health of people, planet, and economy.

He has advised global organisations including Toyota, Airbus, and Unilever, and served as Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords and Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Manufacturing Commission. A Fellow of the Academia Europaea, he continues to bridge engineering, governance, and design — helping leaders turn sustainability strategies into systemic industrial transformation.