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Jennie is Head of Accreditations, Head of Engaged Scholarship and Academic Impact Lead in the Faculty of Business and Law at Manchester Metropolitan University. A strategic leader in various aspects of innovation engagement, she has won £14M of funding for Manchester Met in innovation, small firm growth and research into knowledge exchange.
Under Jennie’s leadership, the Business School has achieved re-accreditation with AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, creating the triple crown of elite global accreditations, awarded to 1% of Business Schools worldwide.
Jennie is passionate about connecting the university, research and education with society and business, as well as developing excellence and engagement in our triple accreditation portfolio. She has a national and international reputation for knowledge exchange, accreditation excellence and impact.
Jennie is also a PraxisAuril Board Member.
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After 20 years in Europe and the US delivering research, development & innovation within large multinational companies, James joined The University of Birmingham in 2007. As Director of Enterprise & Innovation, he is also CEO of Alta Innovations, which brings new ideas developed at the University to market and which manages the operations of Birmingham Research Park, including two business incubators.
James is an expert on the development and commercialisation of a wide range of new technologies ranging from renewable energy to the life sciences, especially those originating from academic research. He currently holds a number of Non-Executive Directorships and Advisory Board positions in technology ‘start up’ companies and early stage investment funds. In addition to his doctorate, he is a Chartered Engineer with an MBA.
Opening Plenary
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Professor Trevor McMillan became Vice-Chancellor of Keele University in August 2015.
Before moving to Keele as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost in January 2014 he was Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at Lancaster University, where he led several major academic developments and was the lead for many partnerships with other Universities and external organisations in the UK and abroad.
Professor McMillan was educated at Birtley Lord Lawson Comprehensive School before studying biological sciences at Lancaster, graduating in 1981. He was awarded a PhD in Biophysics at the Institute of Cancer Research, University of London in 1984.
His early research was carried out at the Institute of Cancer Research/Royal Marsden Hospital and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. A radiation biologist, Professor McMillan has published widely on the use of X-rays in radiotherapy and the harmful effects of long wavelength UV radiation in sunlight. In particular his research has examined the role of DNA damage and repair in the efficacy of radiotherapy and the harmful cellular effects of UVA following environmentally relevant exposures.
On the basis of his research, Professor McMillan has worked on several national committees that have examined the harmful effects of radiation in the environment. He has been awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists and Honorary Membership of the Royal College of Physicians. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology.
He has taught at all levels in Universities and to medical professionals around the world on the biological basis of cancer treatments.
Currently, he has a national role as Knowledge Exchange Champion for Research England. As part of this Professor McMillan published in 2016 a report on technology transfer from universities and he has led the introduction of the Knowledge Exchange Concordat which is currently in its development year.
Plenary
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Chris is currently the Chief Executive of the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s national institute for advanced materials. Following a £235m UK government investment, the Royce was set up to ensure the UK is able to exploit its current word-leading expertise in advanced materials – providing a bridge between academia and commercial realisation.
Previously, Chris worked for Rolls-Royce plc, joining in 1987, and thus enjoyed a 30-year career in a variety of engineering roles, reaching the Company Executive as Group Director, Engineering & Technology. In this role he was responsible for engineering across the portfolio of civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine, nuclear and power systems businesses. Prior to this, Chris had been Director, Engineering & Technology for Civil Large Engines, Chief Operating Officer for Engineering and Technology and Executive Vice-President for Engineering &Technology in the Energy business.
After leaving Rolls-Royce in July 2017, Chris utilised his experience and knowledge advising Private Equity with Due Diligence on industrial companies prior to investment, consulting directly with companies on technical issues and engineering strategy, and providing insights to the investment community on markets, technologies and trends.
Chris has an Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA with Distinction. He is a Chartered Engineer and was elected to Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2017, the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2016 and the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in 2000.
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Dr Julie Bayley is the Director of Research Impact Development at the University of Lincoln. She is an impact specialist and HCPC Registered Chartered Health Psychologist, with over 15 years’ applied research experience. Julie is the ARMA Impact Special Interest Group champion, a member of the Professional Development Committee member and leads ARMA impact training. She is currently commissioned as Emerald Publishing’s Impact Literacy Advisor and works with a range of funders to strengthen impact planning and governance. Julie is collaborating on a range of activities to develop impact literacy across the research sector.
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Mark Boyle is a Scottish trained human geographer (BSc Geography First class Hons from the University of Glasgow in 1988 and PhD in Geography University of Edinburgh 1992) who worked from 2003 to 2007 at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow as Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer in Geography and from 2007 as Professor/Chair of Geography at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. From Aug 2007 to Aug 2012 he served as Head of the large and lively Department of Geography at Maynooth and from 2013 to 2016 as Director of the interdisciplinary National Institute of Regional and Spatial Analyses (NIRSA) at Maynooth. He has served as a Leverhulme Research Fellow and as an Isaac Manasseh Meyer Visiting Fellow (IMMF) at the National University of Singapore.
He is author of 2 books, has edited 7 special editions/sections of international peer reviewed journals and has published over 70 scholarly papers and reports (including 40 in international peer reviewed journals). His research focuses upon on cities, regions, and rural places; their struggles to develop in the context of global economic restructuring and more recently after the global economic crash; the social, political, economic, cultural, and environmental challenges they face, and; the role of public policy in addressing these challenges. He also has a research interest in migration and questions of settlement and integration in Global North cities.
Since 2015, he has served as the National Contact point for Ireland for the Urbact III programme. Funded by ERDF, URBACT’s mission is to enable cities to work together and develop integrated solutions to common urban challenges, by networking, learning from one another’s experiences, drawing lessons and identifying good practices to improve urban policies.
Mark is moving with his family to the big city of Liverpool from the tiny village of Straffan in County Kildare in Ireland! Born and bred in Glasgow, he sees similarities between Liverpool’s deindustrialisation and regeneration and subsequent experience of the crash from 2007 and the devastating impacts of austerity. Dwelling in Ireland he is acutely sensitive to the impact of the geographical concentration of economic activity (be it Dublin or London) on other cities and Brexit geographies, not least Brexit’s differential impacts on different regions and cities.
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Alice Frost is responsible for knowledge exchange policy and funding at Research England, having previously had this responsibility at the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
After studying politics at Oxford University at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, Alice began her career in national policy. She was an adviser at The Leverhulme Trust and Universities UK, working on research policy and funding. She also worked as a researcher with the House of Commons Select Committee covering education and research, before joining the Advisory Board for the Research Councils (ABRC). At ABRC her responsibilities included liaison between the research councils and the then universities funding body and research into science and innovation policy.
At HEFCE, Alice had a wide-ranging set of policy roles, heading, at different times, policy, funding and quality assessment for research, learning and teaching and knowledge exchange.
On secondment from HEFCE, she experienced research strategy in a university and led a local/regional university collaboration.
Over many years, Alice has advised countries across Europe and Asia on following the UK model of a third stream of funding for knowledge exchange. Recently, she has specialized in commercialization policy.
Session A1
Kirstie is Deputy Director - Enterprise at the University of Essex, and leads all knowledge exchange and business engagement activity at the University. Previously she was the Director of EIRA, and has worked at King’s College London as a Business Development Manager with a focus on health-related research. From 2005 – 2008 Kirstie worked at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control as a microbiologist and then in their commercial development function.
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Dan is a Director at Research Consulting, a company specialising in working with clients in research environments. At Research Consulting, he has led and contributed to ~70 consultancy assignments for UK and international clients including universities, research funders, sector bodies and other organisations.
Dan is an experienced higher education professional with extensive business development experience in UK University research and innovation activity. He is experienced in the development, and implementation of strategies, for research, knowledge exchange and partnership-based activities as well as facilitating online training and workshops.
Dan’s experience includes senior research and KE leadership roles at the University of Nottingham (2001-2017) and Nottingham Trent University (2017-2018). He was a Director of the University of Nottingham Innovation Park and previously worked in research business development at the University of Warwick, and at supporting the allocation of research funding at EPSRC. He undertook post-doctoral research at the University of Brighton and has PhD from the University of Nottingham.
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Rob is the Deputy Director in the Research and Enterprise Office at the University of Essex, responsible for KE. He has worked in KE for over 10 years, previously at the University of Hull, where he focused on commercialisation, having worked with IP previously within a patent attorney firm.
Rob has a background in life sciences, having obtained PhD in biochemistry from University of Bristol then research positions at the University of East Anglia focusing on cardiovascular disease. Whilst at Hull rob completed an MBA and is currently Director of Essex Spin-out Metrarc Ltd, Essex Chambers of Commerce and The Colchester Business Enterprise Agency.
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Mark Wheddon leads the programme delivery team for the University of Derby’s Invest to Grow scheme. Provided as a part of the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, Invest to Grow offers loans and grants to companies across the East Midlands to support projects that have significant potential for increased economic growth and can create additional private sector jobs. The funds can be used in the development of new products and services or to meet a company’s aspiration to expand their existing operations. To date the scheme has supported the creation of nearly 1,260 new jobs and the University anticipates that up to 1,870 new jobs will be created across the East Midlands by companies supported by the fund.
Session A2
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Bryn has over 20 years of experience as a Knowledge Exchange professional building and managing collaborative research and innovation partnerships between business and academia. These include award winning Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and establishing the pioneering ESF funded Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship Programme (KESS) in Wales, which supports collaborative PhD and Masters. More recently he has been closely involved in the development of Bangor’s projects for support through the North Wales Growth Deal as well as coordinating the University’s involvement in the third wave of Science and Innovation Audits (SIAs). A varied career has seen him work across the sector on a range of projects and proposals, making important contributions to Bangor’s research, innovation, and skills agendas. Additionally, he has supported strategic relationships with funders, Industry and Government. Bryn is currently a Director of Praxis Auril the UK representative body for Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation professionals and a former chair of the HE Welsh Industrial Liaison Officers Group (WILOs). A fluent Welsh speaker he received an Exec MBA from Bangor University in 2012.
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Lisa Braniff has worked within the Research and Development team at Invest Northern Ireland since 2009. She currently manages Invest NI’s Competence Centre programme. Competence Centres promote economic growth by bringing together universities, research institutes and innovative businesses to carry out strategic collaborative research in areas with a direct industrial focus.
Lisa completed a PhD in electronic engineering in 2006 and worked for four years as a researcher and part-time lecturer in Dublin City University focussing on advances in nanoelectronics.
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David is Operations Manager at University College Cork where he runs the day-to-day operations of the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). His role is to ensure the smooth operation of the various processes that make up the services of the office to the university and to support the wider role of the OTT and indeed the Office of Vice-President for Research and Innovation in the overall innovation and research agenda of the university.
David has over 15 years in Technology Transfer in UCC; previously a Marie Curie Research Fellow (Microbiology). He has expertise in TT Operations and Academic-Industry interface.
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Henry leads Beauhurst’s Consultancy team. He is an expert on business finance and has worked on briefs for clients including the British Business Bank, Penningtons Manches, Syndicate Room, and Innovate UK. Henry regularly gives presentations on market trends at events around the country. He studied Classics at the University of Oxford.
Session A3
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Leanne is a Knowledge Exchange professional and Occupational Psychologist, helping to develop innovation in universities and businesses. She is the Founder and Director of ProjectMatch, supporting MSc Psychology student's to partner with innovative businesses for knowledge exchange projects.
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Lesley leads the Knowledge Transfer Team at the University of Kent and is involved in developing a wide range of university-business collaborations and alliances including Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP). Prior to her current role she worked in the Partnership Development Office of the University and pioneered a very successful initiative to raise aspiration and achievement in secondary schools. She also forged successful links and progression routes for students and adults as part of two national widening participation programmes. Lesley has worked in the finance sector in HE programme development and project management and spent many years as a teacher and tutor in secondary and tertiary education. Currently, she works closely with her Team to highlight the benefits of enterprise activity within the University community and helps to facilitate the application of research to solve business problems. Lesley enjoys the challenge of working at the interface of academia and business and fostering long term sustainable partnerships.
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Martin leads the Business and Innovation Partnerships team in UCL Innovation & Enterprise. He has more than 25 years’ experience of business-university collaborations as a researcher, academic, innovation adviser, and director of university research and enterprise teams. He's been involved in business development in health and biosciences, business incubation, and managing major economic development projects in east London. Martin has also set up his own spinout companies in the biomedical sciences sector. Martin is a past Chair and board member of AURIL and of PraxisAuril. He originally trained in chemistry and has a first degree and PhD from Imperial College London.
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Siobhan Dennis has an academic background in Neuroscience, with an MBiol from the University of Bath and a PhD from the University of Bristol. Subsequently she began a career in industry with a post doctorate position in early phase drug discovery for a multinational pharma working in the area of neurological disorders. Siobhan then moved away from lab-based roles into Alliance Management within the industrial imaging R&D sector concentrating on academic relations and collaborations throughout the EU. Other areas of expertise include experience in early phase digital R&D project development for medical applications, including exploring business models, planning market research and incorporating user experience design into early phase ideas and Proof of Concept (POC). Currently Siobhan works for the Medical Sciences Business Development and Industry Partnering team to aid development of industry engagements across the Medical Science Division at Oxford University.
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I am the Innovation Development Manager for Translate. My role is focused on project management, including governance, performance management, and evaluation of the programme. I am also responsible for developing our approach to enhancing innovation capability through, for example, training, secondments, and mentoring schemes.
I have 17 years’ experience in the higher education sector, having previously held a number of senior research management positions at the UK Research Councils (1999-2008), including Head of Evaluation at the AHRC. More recently, I worked in research management at the University of Bristol (2009 -16), including as Research Development Manager for the Faculty of Science. Before taking up the role of Innovation Development Manager for Translate, I was based in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Bristol, where I was Project Manager for the highly successful £2m NERC-funded CREDIBLE project (2012-16).
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Beata Szoboszlai is Head of Academic Engagement at the Transport Systems Catapult (TSC).Her overarching responsibility lies in developing and implementing programmes and maintaining strategic working relationships with universities working in the Intelligent Mobility (IM) area. Her role includes building, communicating and executing an Academic Engagement Strategy to grow UK industry and employment in TSC’s key strategic areas, to enable engagement with academic stakeholders, direct research activities and maximise the industrial exploitation of the research outputs. This helps the UK IM community grow faster and solve industry challenges; to create better products and services and gain access to new markets.
Session A4
Chris has been working in knowledge exchange for over fifteen years and is currently a Programme Manager based in the Engineering Department at Lancaster University. Chris partners with all sizes and types of organization to deliver mutual benefits and has a long-standing affinity with ERDF to support collaborations. Chris leads on in-curricula student projects with industry for the Engineering Department at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
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Former Director of R&E at the University of York, previously Director at Strathclyde for a long time! Personal interests include - in no particular order - spin-outs, role of universities in economic development, innovative funding schemes, state aid and IPR management. Passionately believe that the biggest risk in this game is taking oneself too seriously.
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Rob McKay MA BSc(Hons) SFHEA FCMI is the project manager for the Keele Research and Innovation Support Programme. Rob joined Keele in early 2017, after six years at Staffordshire University running the executive and professional education service in the Faculty of Business, Law and Education. Prior to this he spent a decade in economic development and regeneration, working in both local government and a regional development agency. Rob has worked on a wide range of business support, inward investment and skills development programmes.
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Alison joined Sensor City as Executive Director in 2017, previously she was Chief Information Officer at BT Business and helped to transform the telecom giant’s products, services and technical delivery.
Sensor City is an innovation hub specialising in Internet of Things and sensors. It is a community of sensor related companies from many different sectors coming together for events, office space and use of the impressive labs. The labs consist of a mechanical, electrical, optics and software labs. each with specialist equipment and resources for IoT companies to use. It is a joint venture between University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University. It is a not for profit company limited by guarantee.
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Donal O'Herlihy established O’Herlihy & Co. Ltd in 1998. He specialises in strategy, innovation and technology commercialisation consultancy services and has worked at management level with the UK’s leading universities, firms and public bodies. He is a recognised Knowledge Exchange specialist and has reviewed approaches throughout the UK in addition to Europe and USA.
Session B1
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Bryn has over 20 years of experience as a Knowledge Exchange professional building and managing collaborative research and innovation partnerships between business and academia. These include award winning Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and establishing the pioneering ESF funded Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship Programme (KESS) in Wales, which supports collaborative PhD and Masters. More recently he has been closely involved in the development of Bangor’s projects for support through the North Wales Growth Deal as well as coordinating the University’s involvement in the third wave of Science and Innovation Audits (SIAs). A varied career has seen him work across the sector on a range of projects and proposals, making important contributions to Bangor’s research, innovation, and skills agendas. Additionally, he has supported strategic relationships with funders, Industry and Government. Bryn is currently a Director of Praxis Auril the UK representative body for Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation professionals and a former chair of the HE Welsh Industrial Liaison Officers Group (WILOs). A fluent Welsh speaker he received an Exec MBA from Bangor University in 2012.
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As Chief Research & Enterprise Officer (CREO) I lead the Research, Engagement and Innovation Services (REIS) department and, more broadly, am also accountable for the transformation, implementation and continuous improvement of the research, innovation and enterprise support services across the whole of Swansea University's three faculties and research and innovation communities, delivering value within an enabling, inclusive ecosystem.
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Gareth is Head of Technology Transfer for the £20m AgorIP project, funded by ERDF and the Welsh Government, at Swansea University. He has responsibility for a team of 17 focussed on delivering an open innovation approach to technology transfer across Wales. The team includes secondees at Health Boards and other universities.
He has over 10 years’ experience in knowledge exchange. Previously he managed all aspects of IP management, technology transfer and consultancy at Swansea University. Prior to that he led commercialisation and consultancy at Bangor University.
Before entering the world of knowledge exchange, he had diverse roles ranging from contract research to community and economic development at the interface of the public and private sectors in the UK and USA. He has expertise in innovation, commercialisation, technology transfer, grant funding, partnership working, strategy and policy development. He has recently become a trainer on PraxisAuril’s FTT course.
Session B2
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Ray is a senior manager supporting research and knowledge exchange around emerging and endemic infectious diseases of pandemic potential. In August 2022 he became Chief Operating Officer at The Pandemic Institute (an academic-clinical-civic partnership hosted by The University of Liverpool), following six years as Director of Research and Innovation Services at The Royal Veterinary College, University of London.
Ray has 11 years’ experience at director level within the higher education sector, working in diverse settings (English Midlands, London, Liverpool). He has led research support offices in three universities where he had responsibility, alongside the relevant Pro Vice-Chancellors / Vice-Provosts, for strategic decision-making in relation to research and innovation. This includes the preparation of institutional submissions to the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014, 2021), Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF 2020, 2022) and leading on The Royal Veterinary College’s response to the Knowledge Exchange Concordat (KEC 2021).
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Responsible for developing and growing commercial income and managing the Business Development and Knowledge Exchange teams.
Session B3
I manage the Enterprise Programmes team; we are committed to developing strong partnerships with SMEs by matching academic research interests with business needs to create exciting and innovative projects that add real value to both parties. Our Programmes include SME Innovation Vouchers, Innovate UK KTP & Smart Grants, SPRINT, SETsquared Scale-Up, Health Technology Accelerator and Blockstart.
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I head the Bioscience Impact Team, which sits within the School of the Biological Sciences, and the University's Research Operations Office. We work closely with researchers from 9 departments and 3 institutes to support translation of their work via a number of routes, including industry collaboration, company spin-out, consultancy and policy engagement. We generate income from the Research Councils to fund translational activity, and administer these grants to run events and award pump-prime funding via internal calls. The team is also responsible for communication and reporting regarding research impact, internally and externally, in the run-up to the next Research Excellence Framework exercise.
Session C1
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As Business Engagement in the Faculty of Humanities, University of Manchester, Shanta is responsible for leading a small team to implement and manage business engagement activity across the Faculty, brokering mutually beneficial collaborative projects between the academic community and external organisations.
Shanta has worked in business engagement for over 10 years including at Keele University where she worked before joining the University of Manchester in 2013. Prior to this she worked in the chemical industry, following PhD and postdoctoral positions in Plant Sciences at the University of Nottingham from 2000-2006. Shanta is the Operational Lead for ASPECT at the University.
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Chris joined LifeArc as Investment Principal at LifeArc Ventures in 2021. He is responsible for new investments and managing existing portfolio companies.
Chris has held key business development roles in the investment and charity research industries, sourcing, assessing and converting life science opportunities. Previously, he was an Associate at the trans-Atlantic venture investor Advent Life Sciences, leading the diligence on a range of therapeutic and medical device opportunities, and supporting the growth of several portfolio companies. Chris worked for ten years in the University technology transfer sector with UCL Business and Cancer Research Technology. He successfully supported and commercialised a number of oncology and gene and cell therapy opportunities, and in addition, he was involved in executing a number of strategic initiatives such as the CRUK Stratified Medicine Programme and Grand Challenge awards.
Chris received his M.Biochem from the University of Oxford and a PhD in Genetics from the University of Cambridge in the lab of Prof. Fiona Watt.
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Andy has many years of experience in the Public and Private sector and has worked with both large, established organisations and smaller businesses and start-ups. He is now working as the Health and Wellbeing Sector Lead for the SETsquared Scale-Up Programme which is designed to support the growth needs of small businesses.
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Peter’s primary research centres on the development of methods and strategies to assist Small, Medium and Large Enterprises make effective use of design in their business strategies. In undertaking this he has attracted significant funding form the Private Sector, UK and European Government and Research England including a recent £4.65 million grant for the Impacting Business by Design initiative. His research also embraces issues around Sustainability, the Circular Economy and the application of Additive Manufacturing in the New Product Development process; patents being attributed to him in this field. Peter has advised Government bodies on design in the UK, Oman and Indonesia and regularly speaks at international design conferences and publishes in international journals on design support for industry.
These activities have resulted in over 200 hundred design research interventions for small, medium and large enterprises including Guinness, Adidas, Oxford Instruments, British Nuclear Fuels, British Telecom and Google USA, with engagements in the USA, Finland, Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic, all relating to new product development. Many of these design designs have been award winning and, in several cases, have solicited patent applications.
Peter’s early career commenced with ten years of product design consultancy for the international consultants BIB, (Butler, Isherwood and Bartlett) and Jones Garrard, working on products for companies including Minolta, Ferguson, Duracell, British Telecom, Pfizer and Black and Decker, working on contracts in Japan, the USA and the rest of Europe. He joined De Montfort University in 1991 where he engaged in the development of undergraduate and post graduate product design courses, higher degree supervision and examining. He established the Design Unit (an industry facing design research and consultancy group) in 1992 which undertook projects totalling over £8 million of design research support for industry during his tenure.
Peter joined Nottingham Trent University in September 2018 as Professor of Design where he is currently leading the School of Design on its Practice Based Design focus. He will also be working closely with NTU’s Medical Technology Innovation Facility (MTIF) and will be NTU’s joint lead on the Impacting Business by Design initiative.
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John’s research focuses on developing breakthrough therapies, devices and technology to repair, replace, augment and in the future regenerate diseased, infected and damaged tissues in humans and other mammals using material interventions. Understanding the generic science to deliver interventional medical therapies requiring the use of a material (living cells are also considered to be a material). These will come from an in depth generic first principles approach to understanding and directing the patient’s cellular and molecular mechanisms and responses related to the clinical outcome and efficacy of medical devices, biocompatibility, inflammation and stem cell biology. Tissue engineering processes are developed and applied, addressing the key areas of patient treatments requiring intervention and material implantation; the materials of choice being researched today also include cells and within that, expertise and intellectual property has been created relating to primary cell sourcing, controlling cell function and phenotype through defining and controlling extracellular matrix interactions, angiogenesis, inflammation and tissue regeneration. From a strong long lived generic research platform, specific applications and knowledge has been applied to and continue to be developed for musculoskeletal tissues specifically cartilage and bone, visceral and vascular tissues. Professor Hunt’s research has been funded by the European Commission, BBSRC, MRC and EPSRC as well as by Industry. Ph.D in 1992 and D.Sc. in 2006.
He is a full time Professor and research Theme Leader at Nottingham Trent University, leading the theme Medical Technologies and Advanced Materials. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Chairperson of the committee for the specialist interest group Analytical Biosciences. He is an honorary clinical academic consultant at the Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS trust hospital. He is a Fellow of the International College of Fellows for Biomaterials Science and Engineering and elected committee member and the treasurer of the college. He is on the International editorial board member for the journal Biomaterials and the Biomaterials and Nanotechnology section editor in the International journal of Artificial Organs.
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Angela has been at Aston since 2009 and has recently taken up a new role at as Director of Regional Strategy in response to Aston’s University strategy refresh, which focusses on beneficiaries; Students, Business & the Professions and Region & Society. She is currently focussing on development of the Civic University Agreement with partners as well as regional partnerships projects and funding, whilst also supporting the WM5G team within West Midlands Combined Authority. She is also the Aston lead for the Midlands Innovation Commercialisation of Research Accelerator (MICRA) £5M Connecting Capabilities Fund Project. Prior to Aston, she was at St George’s, University of London where she set up the Centre for Enterprise and Innovation and was the St George’s lead on regional collaborations including the West Focus consortium and the Heptagon Life Sciences Fund.
Rupert is currently Development and Partnership Manager at the University of Plymouth; based in the Research and Innovation Directorate and with a thematic focus on the Creative and Cultural Industries.
Rupert’s role includes working with Senior Leaders, academic, technical staff and students in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and a wide range of external partners, in support of the University's mission to deliver world-class research and meaningful collaborations with businesses and the community.
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Rachel is Bath Spa University’s Knowledge Exchange Manager for the South West Creative Technology Network (SWCTN). Her role involves pro-actively engaging with creative businesses and recruiting them to the network, supporting academics and researchers to engage with the project, and planning and delivering events and other awareness-raising initiatives.
Working in close collaboration with project partners, Rachel is responsible for helping to develop a Knowledge Exchange service that supports the strategic direction of the SWCTN, and enables the achievement of joint initiatives and increases the productivity and resilience of the region’s Creative Industries.
Session C2
![](https://www.praxisauril.org.uk/civicrm/contact/imagefile?photo=James_Convery_5ff19a2004c4510fc73c7549ce5e7a01.jpeg)
James is an Knowledge Exchange Executive within the Enterprise and Innovation group at Coventry University, developing working partnerships between Coventry University and Industry to support continued growth and innovation.
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Noelle Gracy received her PhD in Neuroscience from Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences and completed her postdoctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute. She has worked in academic publishing, community engagement and marketing analytics. She now heads the Academic Collaboration Office, facilitating project in machine learning, predictive analytics, research data management, ethics, and research performance. Elsevier currently supports 55+ active collaborative projects at 35 academic institutions.
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Fiona is a biotechnology entrepreneur who became Director of CEIDR in April 2018 where she is focused on translation, developing partnerships that apply the technologies, expertise and resources of the University of Liverpool, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, associated NHS Trusts and overseas partners. CEIDR’s primary goal is the rapid translation of infectious diseases research to combat the threats of resistance to public health worldwide.
Fiona previously led anti-infective companies Absynth Biologics and Novacta Biosystems. Earlier she founded Healthcare Ventures, for the Rothschild Bioscience Unit and J&J Development Corporation investing in European entrepreneurs. Fiona has a PhD in Biochemistry (Kent) and an MBA (London Business School).
![](https://www.praxisauril.org.uk/civicrm/contact/imagefile?photo=Danielle_Miles_fb828a111e233c71d326c3e153a47d11.jpeg)
Danielle is the Innovation Manager for the Industry and Innovation Research Institute and Sheffield Hallam University.
In this role she provides leadership and direction for innovation and knowledge exchange activity across the Research Institute to generate income growth and increase successful external partnerships. Working collaboratively across the university, taking responsibility for the development and delivery of high performing services in the Research Institute to deliver the University’s operational priorities and strategic aims.
ROLE SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
• Provide leadership for innovation and knowledge exchange activity across the Research Institute, working closely with other senior leaders and senior academics to seize new external funding opportunities and generate income growth, delivering the aspirations of the Creating Knowledge Implementation Plan. .
• Drive a pipeline of commercial and long-term strategic partnerships to increase income, impact and reputation
• Pro-actively provide foresight of future funding calls and strategic opportunities through leading the Institute’s activity in growing relationships with key funding contacts
• Lead collaborations across the Research Institutes with other Research Institute Innovation Managers and Specialist Innovation Managers to maximise R&I opportunities
• Act as a Project Director in establishing and leading multi-disciplinary, multi-partner project teams across the Research Institutes and Centres to bid for strategic research and innovation
funding opportunities.
• Provide leadership for responses to external research and innovation partnership enquiries, ensuring a joined-up approach to client engagement and management, working with other University functions to maximise the full potential of business relationships.
• Promote the intellectual property portfolio and technology transfer prospects of the Research Institutes and work with the IP and Commercialisation Manager to maximise value through successful licensing of University IP
Prior to this she was a Technology Innovation Manager and programme lead based at the University of Leeds working on multi-institutional knowledge exchange and medtech innovation programmes - Translate Medtech and Grow Medtech
![](https://www.praxisunico.org.uk/civicrm/contact/imagefile?photo=Dean_Stephenson_de2c56c4a35d6500d1a903089d4de64a.jpg)
Dean is a Knowledge Exchange Executive at Coventry University, where he works in the Enterprise and Innovation team. He has worked at the University for 15 years, where he has been involved in a number of funded Knowledge Exchange Programmes. He has worked on KTP for a number of years now, and was, until recently, the West Midlands KTP Representative on the National Forum. Previously Dean has worked for such Companies as Unilever and Akzo-Nobel, and has also worked in both Dubai and Bahrain. In his spare time he enjoys all sports and recently was a volunteer at both the Rugby World Cup and The Ladies Cricket World Cup. He also enjoys travelling.
Session C3
![](https://www.praxisauril.org.uk/civicrm/contact/imagefile?photo=Dave_Bembo_465b383fb9dbdc0a5b9b729b1005969d.jpg)
As Chief Research & Enterprise Officer (CREO) I lead the Research, Engagement and Innovation Services (REIS) department and, more broadly, am also accountable for the transformation, implementation and continuous improvement of the research, innovation and enterprise support services across the whole of Swansea University's three faculties and research and innovation communities, delivering value within an enabling, inclusive ecosystem.
![](https://www.praxisauril.org.uk/civicrm/contact/imagefile?photo=Steve_Fish_6d9f13d22e82557a798b9404a2cc262c.jpg)
I lead a team of 30 knowledge exchange professionals in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Lancaster University. Our activities include:
1. Developing research initiatives with academic staff
2. Enhancing student employability by using e.g. internships
3. Driving the knowledge exchange agenda associated with e.g. contract research, consultancy, and research projects
4. Enhancing impact development across the Faculty
5. Managing the FST estate associated with our co-located companies based in cTAP, the Lancaster Environment Centre and the School of Computing and Communication
![](https://www.praxisauril.org.uk/civicrm/contact/imagefile?photo=John_Halliwell_6b172fd30e630ad435841acdacd06dd6.jpg)
In his current role, John supports the development of impact from health research. John brokers and develops relationships with non-academic partners. John provides guidance on plans and funding bids to advance impact. He manages several devolved funding schemes for impact development.
John joined the University of Bristol in 2006 as a research assistant for the Centre for Romantic Studies, before joining the Gates Foundation funded Aquatest Project as Project Officer. He coordinated the University's impact submission to REF2014, and more recently managed a programme of activities to improve the experience of PGRs across the GW4 Alliance. He completed an MA in Romanticism (Bristol), and a BA in Modern History and English (Oxford).
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Brigita joined City, University of London in September 2017 as an IP comercialisation and incubator manager. She has over 10 years of working experience in international business development. Having started her own international business consulting and agency company 9 years ago, she acquired wide experience in design and execution of new business development programs internationally for her own business as well as for her clients from various industries. Being a confident communicator and negotiator fluent in five European languages she is capable of forming strategic relationships internally and externally. She has been responsible for operational coordination and execution of several marketing and business development work streams, as well as daily client and subcontractor relationships.
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Gurmit is the founder of Visual Fuse, a consultancy specializing in connecting the academic excellence of the university sector with industry and partners to drive real-world impact. Prior to this, she spent a decade as the Director of Business Engagement and Research Impact within the university sector. In this role, Gurmit led a dynamic team that fostered academic-industry partnerships resulting in collaborations with esteemed organizations such as Procter & Gamble, GSK, Pfizer, PwC, and HSBC.
With over 25 years of experience in senior leadership positions across the Energy, Travel, and IT sectors, Gurmit is known for her ability to deliver business development initiatives and cultivate transformative team cultures. She is also an Associate member of PraxisAuril and serves as a Trustee for the Birmingham Women & Children's Hospital Charity Trust, highlighting her commitment to both professional excellence and community impact.
In her spare time, she is a keen runner, yoga enthusiast, and mummy of three (two small humans & pooch)
Session C4
Timothy Brundle is Director of Research & Impact at Ulster University. Timothy directs Ulster’s research strategy, governance and administration, and guides its economic impact through knowledge exchange and intellectual property commercialisation. He also holds the position of Chief Executive of Innovation Ulster Ltd, Ulster’s venturing and investment company. As a Senior Leader at Ulster, Timothy directs a team of 90 research management professionals, an annual £15m research strategy budget and manages £1.5m of spend each week on research and innovation. Timothy has worked throughout his career in research-led organisations, with a focus on developing their customer-orientation, economic impact, business outcomes and shareholder value. He has led over £500m of research investment, established more than 40 high tech start up companies, secured over £450m of Venture Capital and ensured investor value from over £150m of company acquisitions and from a stock market floatation. He is an experienced and skilled member of the Board of both young companies and mature public Institutions, including serving as a Director of many of Ulster’s spin out companies, Invest NI, the UK Knowledge Transfer Network, and until 2022 served as Chair of Young Enterprise NI.
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![](https://www.praxisauril.org.uk/civicrm/contact/imagefile?photo=Dan_King_57da1266429da9070b65506e78a0bc40.png)
Dan is a Director at Research Consulting, a company specialising in working with clients in research environments. At Research Consulting, he has led and contributed to ~70 consultancy assignments for UK and international clients including universities, research funders, sector bodies and other organisations.
Dan is an experienced higher education professional with extensive business development experience in UK University research and innovation activity. He is experienced in the development, and implementation of strategies, for research, knowledge exchange and partnership-based activities as well as facilitating online training and workshops.
Dan’s experience includes senior research and KE leadership roles at the University of Nottingham (2001-2017) and Nottingham Trent University (2017-2018). He was a Director of the University of Nottingham Innovation Park and previously worked in research business development at the University of Warwick, and at supporting the allocation of research funding at EPSRC. He undertook post-doctoral research at the University of Brighton and has PhD from the University of Nottingham.
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Helen Lau is the Head of Knowledge Exchange at Coventry University. Helen initially joined Coventry University as Project Manager as part of the initial HDTI (Health Design and Technology Institute) team supporting the development of the research centre and overseeing the build of the multi-million pound inclusively designed facility. She is now responsible for running the UK and European government funded knowledge transfer programmes (such as KTP), contract research, industry funded postgraduate studentships and a substantial percentage of the business engagement activities undertaken by the University Group including some European Regional Development initiatives.
The KE Unit is frequently the first point of contact and engagement for SMEs and larger companies. Helen is working within the Enterprise and Innovation Group at Coventry to develop successful academic relationships with the business community that meet business need and address academic impact. She specialises in delivering transactional projects which meet the needs of the client and the academic team involved in projects, linking to research impact and University metrics.
Helen has worked in research commercialisation and business engagement for 13 years across roles at Coventry University, Keele University and Yorkshire Forward and directly in an SME environment. She has expertise across a wide range of project, and client types and has developed a range of new initiatives at Coventry to build, and retain client relationships and research impact pathways.
Outside of her role at the University Helen has been a Trustee for AgeUK Coventry and a member of the Institute of Engineers and Technologists.
![](https://www.praxisunico.org.uk/civicrm/contact/imagefile?photo=Sarah_Macnaughton_6869ffd22d06062991eabf2181104bc4.jpg)
A Principal Consultant at Oxentia, the innovation management consultancy spun out of Oxford University Innovation. With a background as an environmental microbiologist, I have 20 years experience in knowledge transfer, commercialisation and consultancy, and am currently Programme Manager of Aspect on behalf of LSE.
Chair's Conference Address
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Dr Angela Kukula is Director of Business and Innovation at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. She manages a team of 20 people over-seeing all intellectual property and commercial issues at the ICR including managing collaborations with industry, negotiating clinical trial agreements, patenting, licensing and the formation of spin-out companies.
Angela is an internationally recognised knowledge exchange specialist. She is a member of the Board of Oxford University Innovation and a past chair of PraxisAuril. She is also a member of the IP Advisory Group of the Association of Medical Research Charities, a school governor and has contributed to a range of regional, national and international bodies.
Angela spent a number of years managing international collaborative R&D programmes in the Pharmaceutical industry, before moving into knowledge exchange. She has a BA in Biochemistry from Oxford University and PhD in Immunology and Genetics from the University of London as well as an MBA specialising in technology management and an LLM in commercial law.
Closing Plenary
![](https://www.praxisauril.org.uk/civicrm/contact/imagefile?photo=Kev_House_794f7d7c9047afa05f2c0afe201a0465.jpg)
In 2006, as an out of control, obese, heavy drinking Type 1 Diabetic, doctors gave Kev the ultimatum - to change or face the consequences. It was time to stop hiding, ‘man up’ and face the challenge head on.
Kev had tried to change loads of times but had consistently failed. Reluctantly, after a recommendation from a friend, Kev started reading some of that ‘airy fairy positivity stuff’ and was shocked at the results when he put the ideas into practice!
Some thought Kev (and that included Kev!) had lost his marbles when he announced that he was going to run in the New York City Marathon in Nov 2007. He completed what was a truly life-changing experience.
Kev’s never looked back. The benefits are incredible: more energy, improved mood and excellent diabetic control, flourishing professionally, and most importantly for Kev, he can now get into Topman skinny jeans!
Kev is inspiring children and adults through keynote speaking, workshops and one to one’s to take control and manage their own minds, develop self-awareness, grit and most importantly, self-love!
Kev’s history is a case study in positivity, goal-setting and personal responsibility.