Derek Fray is Direct of Research and Emeritus Professor of Materials Chemistry, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge. He has published about 400 articles on materials processing and is cited as an inventor on over 170 published patents. Twelve projects are now under active industrial development throughout the world. He has been awarded many honours and is a Fellow of the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society of Chemistry and the Institute of Materials.
He is a founder director of Ion Science Ltd.(gas detection and sensing), Environmental Monitoring and Control Ltd.(on-line measurements in molten metals), Metalysis Ltd. (clean technology for the production of advanced materials), Camfridge Ltd. (novel refrigeration techniques), Inotec Ltd. (wound healing) and Chinuka Ltd. (upgrading titanium ores). These companies have raised about £30m and employ well over 100 people.