The Lancashire Enterprise Board have appointed Professor Graham Baldwin, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire as Chair to the newly formed Lancashire Innovation Board.
Steve Fogg, Chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Graham as Chair of the Lancashire Innovation Board and look forward to working with both Graham and the board to deliver our innovation plans for Lancashire, which are more important now than ever.
“From the Spinning Jenny to the development of the jet engine, Lancashire has always been able to build a vibrant economy, based on the innovation of those who work here. In 2020 the challenge has never been greater to harness innovation, to retain its competitive position and imagine Lancashire’s industries of the future.”
The Lancashire Innovation Board will bring together a range of private and public sector partners to provide the strategic leadership and accountability for the LEP’s Innovation Plan and its delivery. Championing and challenging interventions to deliver greater levels of innovation for the county.
Commenting on his appointment Graham said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to work with a whole host of partners to build on our existing innovation resources and drive forward Lancashire’s innovation agenda.
“Lancashire has many strengths and assets to build on to move our productivity efforts forward. We are home to leading global businesses at the cutting edge of innovation in advanced manufacturing, supported by a supply chain cluster of high-tech small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs).
“Our long standing and well-known strengths in aerospace, automotive, and energy industries sit alongside exciting, emerging strengths in sectors such as digital and applied healthcare. And through our high- performing universities and further education providers, working closely with national centres of research excellence and knowledge transfer partnerships, our excellence in deep thinking and research provides us with crucial competitive advantage.”
Graham is joined by a wealth of talent on the Innovation Board including:
Tony Attard OBE DL, CEO, Panaz Holdings Ltd
Jane Binnion, Founder, The Growing Club CIC
Jane Dalton, Founding Director, Groundswell Innovation
Gaynor Dykes, Regional Manager, Grant Thornton UK LLP
Lorna Green, Director of Enterprise and Growth, Innovation Agency
Dr Rick Holland, Regional Manager for the North West of England, Innovate UK
Natalie Jones, Head of Regional Engagement, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Pete Lee, Continuous Improvement and Quality Director, Victrex plc
Lindsay Roche, Director Government Affairs, Westinghouse UK
Claire Whelan, Managing Director, The Ansuka Group
Dion Williams, Associate Dean for Enterprise & Engagement and Director of Research, Enterprise & Innovation, Lancaster University
One of the first initiatives that the board will be leading on is the Lancashire Innovation Festival running throughout October, more details can be found on Lancashireinnovationfestival.co.uk
For more information on the innovation projects supported by the LEP go to Lancashirelep.co.uk/key-initiatives
