ERA Foundation Board Member Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi Knighted in King’s New Year Honours

The ERA Foundation is delighted to announce that board member Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi has been knighted in His Majesty's New Year Honours 2025 for services to engineering and education. Professor Sir Bashir was formally appointed Knight Bachelor by His Majesty The King.

Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi is known for his significant research contributions over the last 30 years to energy-efficient computing and semiconductor chip design. His pioneering work has driven advancements in hardware and software technologies for digital devices, including smartphones. Professor Sir Bashir’s research has won numerous prestigious awards, most recently the IET Faraday Medal in 2020.

“I have always wanted to emphasise engineering as a profession and champion the importance of engineering skills,” said Professor Sir Bashir. “I am truly honoured and deeply humbled to be knighted for services to engineering and education. This distinction recognises the key role the engineering profession plays each and every day in addressing the world’s most pressing challenges.”

Currently serving as Vice President (Research and Innovation) at King’s College London, Professor Sir Bashir is pivotal in shaping the university’s research and innovation strategy. He is deeply committed to translating scientific discoveries into economic and social benefits.

Beyond his academic work, Professor Sir Bashir is passionate about inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. As a trustee of the Royal Academy of Engineering Board and other charitable organisations, he actively promotes STEM disciplines and their impact on young people. Professor Sir Bashir also champions ethnic minority representation in engineering and serves as a role model for Black, Asian and minority ethnic academics and researchers.

“Professor Sir Bashir’s work is inspiring,” said Professor Shitij Kapur, Vice-Chancellor & President of King’s College London. “Over the years he has balanced many technical achievements with good citizenship in a variety of higher education roles to make a real difference in the world. He has contributed significantly to increasing diversity within the engineering profession and continues to do so. The entire King’s community is delighted to see Professor Sir Bashir recognised in the New Year Honours, and we wish him our warmest congratulations on this well-deserved achievement.”

The ERA Foundation warmly congratulates Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi on this well-deserved recognition of his leadership and impact in engineering, research, and education. His knighthood reflects the critical importance of engineering and technology skills in building a better future for society.


Notes for Editors:

About the ERA Foundation: The ERA Foundation is a non-profit organisation that supports electech manufacturing in the UK. It promotes a supportive policy environment, contributes to economic vitality, and invests in the next generation of UK engineers through skills development and outreach. The ERA Foundation works closely with government, industry, and academia partners to achieve its mission.

About Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi: Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi CBE FREng FRS is the Arm Professor of Computer Engineering at the University of Southampton. He founded the Arm-Southampton Research Centre, focusing on energy efficiency and hardware dependability in constrained computing systems. Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2013 and the Royal Society in 2023, Professor Sir Bashir received a CBE in 2018 for services to engineering and industry. He serves as Vice President (Research & Innovation) at King’s College London, providing academic leadership to implement the university’s research and innovation strategy.

For more information, please get in touch with Andrew Everett, Chief Executive Officer ERA Foundation, at andrew.everett@erafoundation.org