I am Professor of Computing at the Open University, UK.
I am interested in the intersection between the physical, social and digital worlds. In terms of research areas I focus on ubiquitous/pervasive computing, the Internet of Things and human-centered computing. My recent talks and publications are online at www.kortuem.com/publications and www.kortuem.com/talks.
I have a particular interest in innovation, design and architecture and am trying to relate these topics to my research. I am especially curios about user-driven innovation and its impact on emerging software ecosystems in the mobile/pervasive/ubiquitous computing space.
I belief that data has substituted software as the key ingredient of digital systems. As a researchers I am thus increasingly looking at data and information aspects (for example information visualization). As an educator I am concerned that we (i.e. Universities) do not teach our students enough about the processing and analysis of large volumes of data.
Prior to joining the Open University I was a Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University's School of Computing and Communications where I directed the MSc in E-Business and Innovation. I developed and taught a class on 'Software Innovation and Entrepreneurship' with the goal to inspire students to view themselves as digital entrepreneurs. I am glad to say that a number of students took this opportunity to develop and launch their own web business.
I was born in Germany. Before arriving in the UK I spent over ten years in Oregon in the USA. While doing my phd I held various jobs: I was was running the engineering efforts of web startup LivingNetwoks.com (now defunct), worked as software engineer at Apple in Cupertino and developed 3D architectural software at Artifice. In the distant past I also worked at IBM Stuttgart and Technical University Berlin.
I live in the English countryside with my wife and three children, near Milton Keynes, not far from London.
I hold a Ph.D. in Computer Science from University of Oregon, USA and a MSc in Computer Science from Stuttgart University, Germany.
I can be found online at:
Blog and personal website: http://www.kortuem.com
Google profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/kortuem
Twitter: @kortuem
Linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/kortuem
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kortuem
Email: <firstname>@<lastname>.com
My physical address is:
Prof Gerd Kortuem
Computing Department
Faculty of Mathematics, Computing and Technology
The Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
UK