Prof Mahesh Sooriyabandara

Member since 2021

Mahesh Sooriyabandara is the Managing Director of Toshiba Europe’s Global Research & Development Centre based in Bristol, an organisation with a long history in the tech industry that is committed to creating "a higher quality of life for all people around the world".

Mahesh is a pioneer in technological research and innovation to solve problems in society and he works closely with the University of Bristol, the University of the West of England, Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council. He has instigated some of the key digital innovation programmes in the region, including Bristol’s smart city projects targeting fuel poverty and digital literacy, and South Gloucestershire Council’s industrial and digital testbed to address challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises in the digital sectors.

During his 18 years in Bristol Mahesh has won the prestigious Toshiba Corporate Technology Award for developing technology to create the world’s biggest wireless mesh network. Under his leadership, the Toshiba lab in Bristol has diversified its technology expertise and continues to sponsor, train and mentor many engineering, computer science and business students from a range of regional and national universities every year. He is passionate about marrying academic research with the industrial world to solve real problems, for instance making robotics solutions cheaper and accessible for all industry sectors and developing smarter multi-energy community solutions to address net-zero targets.

Mahesh obtained his first degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and completed his PhD in Satellite Data Communications at the University of Aberdeen. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and is currently a visiting honorary professor for the School of Engineering at Cardiff University.

Alongside his many work commitments, Mahesh endeavours to do more for society and he is a trustee of Collegiate School and of Paramitha Community Development Foundation, a Bristol-based BAME charity.

Mahesh is married and a father of two children, and somehow finds time to spend with his family.