Hugh Bradlow has an international reputation in both biomedical engineering and telecommunications. While in South Africa he developed an automatic control system for neuro-muscular blocking during anaesthesia, which was commercialised. His work on telecommunications networking has attracted widespread industrial support and has led to Telecom Australia Research Laboratories establishing and Centre of Expertise in Switched Networks Research in Wollongong under his direction. He has also helped to attract the Canadian Telecommunications giant, Nortel, to set up their Asia-Pacific R & D Centre on the Wollongong Campus and has accepted Nortel's invitation to be its Inaugural Director. His first Professional appointment was at the age of 29.