Professor Borthwick's research interests include environmental fluid mechanics, flood risk management, coastal processes, offshore engineering, and marine renewable energy.
Since 1998, he has collaborated with Peking University on all material fluxes in large rivers, and water and wastewater treatment technologies.
Alistair Borthwick has almost 40 years' engineering experience. He helped design the Hutton Tension Leg Platform, which won the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement in 1984.