Dr Howard Parkinson

Research Fellow, Institute of Railway Research
University of Huddersfield

Biography

Dr Howard Parkinson is a Chartered Engineer and member ofthe Institution of Railway Signal Engineers. He is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Railway Research (IRR), University of Huddersfield, and Director of Digital Transit Ltd, a UK company specialising in intelligent systems, cybersecurity assurance, AI-driven compliance tools, and advanced condition-monitoring technologies for the rail and energy sectors.

With more than three decades of international experience, Dr Parkinson has led major programmes in autonomous systems, safety-critical engineering, OT cybersecurity, and digital twin development. His recent work focuses on applying artificial intelligence to the structured assurance of safety- and security-critical systems, including the development of AI-enabled methods for compliance assessment against IEC 63452, EN 50716, and related standards.

He has contributed extensively to industry committees, including roles with the Railway Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the IRSE, and European working groups on cyber and AI assurance. Dr Parkinson is also a published researcher whose work spans AI governance, cybersecurity standards, and intelligent engineering systems.

Presentation

Using an AI Toolset to Verify and Assess Cybersecurity Cases Against the New Standard for Rail, IEC 63452