Peter, who has spent three decades dedicated to leading world-class science, technology and engineering in an innovative and impact-focused way, attended the Cranfield campus today to collect his Honorary Degree. This year’s graduation celebration marks the first for the University’s new Chancellor, Julia King, The Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS FMedSci.
On receiving his degree Dr Peter Thompson CBE, NPL CEO, said: "I am delighted to receive this Honorary Degree, having enjoyed three transformative years at Cranfield, approaching my PhD and broader opportunities with equivalent energy. The tutoring and autonomy I experienced served me well in the next stage of my career as a researcher in Defence, and the leadership opportunities I have been fortunate to do have been enabled by the confidence I developed during my time here. Having stayed in contact and collaboration for 30+ years I continue to recommend Cranfield to anyone motivated by leading, purposeful, impact focused, research and innovation."
During his nine years as CEO of NPL, Peter has overseen a number of initiatives and programmes with significant societal impact, spanning the healthcare, quantum, manufacturing and telecommunications sectors.
Read more about Peter's career
27 Jun 2025