Prof. Terrence Fernando demonstrates an extensive track record in leading multidisciplinary research programmes involving large, distributed teams across domains such as urban simulation, virtual building construction, collaborative engineering, and disaster management. Between 2001 and 2004, a major regional research centre on advanced virtual prototyping was led under funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Office of Science and Technology (OST). This initiative brought together the University of Salford, UMIST, University of Manchester, and Lancaster University, resulting in the development of advanced collaborative visualisation and simulation technologies for the engineering sector.

Leadership contributions extend to major European initiatives, including serving as Scientific Director of the CoSpaces project, which involved 17 partners. In addition, active roles were held in key programmes such as the INTUITION VR Network of Excellence, comprising 50 virtual reality centres, and the Visionair project with 25 VR centres. These initiatives significantly advanced collaborative virtual environments across sectors including aerospace, automotive, construction, and urban planning.

Further contributions include the successful completion of major EU-funded projects such as Design4Energy, PROSECO, and CROSS DRIVE. These projects focused on developing collaborative platforms supporting energy-efficient neighbourhood design, eco-product innovation, and space mission planning for Mars.

Recognition has been achieved through the prestigious “Best BIM (Building Information Modelling) Project of the Year” national award for the “4D Simulation for Track Renewals” project in collaboration with Network Rail. This achievement led to the establishment of a successful spin-off company, 4DSimulations.net.

Between 2017 and 2022, significant funding was secured from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) for two large-scale projects—MOBILISE project and TRANSCEND project. These initiatives facilitated collaboration with government agencies in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Malaysia to strengthen digital infrastructure for resilience against climate-induced disasters such as floods and landslides. A key outcome was the development of the MOBILISE platform, enabling government agencies to conduct local risk assessments and build consensus for risk reduction interventions.

Building on these successes, further funding was obtained from the World Bank CARE programme to pilot the MOBILISE platform in Kalutara District. This initiative focused on developing a community-centric, multi-hazard early warning system and led to the establishment of a Living Lab in Kalutara. The Living Lab supports co-creation and testing of digital solutions with local and national stakeholders, enhancing the capacity of decision-makers to understand risks, monitor hazards, and disseminate early warnings effectively. Ongoing efforts are focused on scaling these solutions across Sri Lanka and the Maldives.