Head of Innovation and Business Engagement, Freeport East

Steven is Head of Innovation for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority. His role is to work in close partnership with business and other key stakeholders to promote the area as the location of choice for all sizes of businesses – one where they can innovate, grow and export from, especially in the area’s priority sectors: Life Sciences, Agri-Tech, Advanced Manufacturing & Materials, and ICT.

He led the team that secured, then delivered on time, the East of England Science & Innovation Audit (SIA), published by BEIS in Sep 2017.

He works with BEIS, DIT, UKRI (especially Innovate UK, including Catapults, Knowledge Transfer Network, Smart Specialisation Hub and Enterprise Europe Network), academia, business representative bodies and other organisations to create fresh approaches to stimulating output-focused innovation-related activity.

Previously Steven was Head of Innovation for the East of England Regional Development Agency, (EEDA) where he led an expert team of programme managers and lead on the Norwich Research Park, including serving on the BBSRC project board to create TGAC - now renamed the Earlham Institute.

Earlier in life he led The British Prime Minister’s Initiative for Vocational Training in Russia, and he has extensive experience at director level in both public and private sectors.

Elected FIoD (2001), FRSA (2016) and a Policy Fellow of the Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) at the University of Cambridge (2016), Steven is a Freeman of the City of London and Middle Warden of the Worshipful Company of Farriers, founded in 1356 and still focused on the welfare of the horse, with charitable and educational activities.