Professor Lars Johanning, Chair in Ocean Technology, has been involved in research on hydrodynamic related topics for marine structures since 1997. He is a leading researcher with international recognition in the field of ocean energy and technology with a focus towards hydrodynamics and station keeping systems. 

Professor Johanning is the Associate Head of School (Research) at the University of Plymouth and has led the development of the Falmouth Bay marine energy test site, which has seen the successful deployment of the Fred Olsen and Polygen wave energy device. He is providing expert advice within the mooring standard committee to the IEC/TC114, and previously advised the ORE Catapult as a member of the Research Advisory Group (RAG) and advises in the development of the EU Ocean Energy Roadmap.

His research includes activities such as loading and dynamic response of mono-towers in steep and breaking waves (GR/N04522/01), hydrodynamic and reliability studies on station keeping systems for offshore renewable energy devices (GR/S26958/01, EP/M014738/1, EP/P008682/1), and hydrodynamic analysis supporting the development of aquaculture systems (BB/M005208/1). Furthermore, he has leading roles on the Industrial Doctoral Centre for Offshore Renewable - IDCORE (EP/J500847/1) and the Horizon 2020 project OPERA (654444). 

He previous roles included Program Director of the Falmouth Bay marine energy Test site (FaBTest), and the Program Director on the Marine-i Hub, a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) project as part of the Marine Hub Cornwall Enterprise Zone to stimulate and support business-led and market-driven R&D and innovation. Furthermore, Professor Johanning has held leading and collaborative roles on projects, such as EPSRC UKCMER, EPSRC/ETI funded Industrial Doctorial Centre for Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE), TTI - Carbon Trust (MRCF), AWS - TSB and is involved in several European projects, such as CORES, Flotant, DTOcean, Oceanet, Marinet 1 & 2, OPERA and WEDUSEA. 

Professor Johanning has extensive international experience. He actively contributed to the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CICCED) special policy studies (SPS) on ‘Ocean Governance: A sustainable blue economy towards carbon neutrality’, as the International Co-chair (Task Team #3 – Ocean Energy) during Phase VII (2022-2027) and previous as the International Co-chair (Task Team #5 - Renewable Energy) during Phase VI (2017-2022). Furthermore, he holds a Visiting Scholar at Dalian University of Technology, and led previously the development of resilient concept designs for floating offshore wind as part of a funded EPSRC/NSFC ORE UK-China project.