New Director for Norwich Research Park
The Norwich Research Park (NRP) has appointed Alan Giles in the newly created post of NRP Director to lead the planned major expansion of the Park over the next decade.
He will have overall responsibility for converting the NRP Vision into a commercial and employment success. The NRP Vision centres on the generation of 5000 additional jobs at the NRP and in greater Norwich over the next 10 to 15 years through growth in start-up companies, inward location and institutional growth; the development of the NRP as a key driver of the regional economy, recognised as a world leading centre for research and innovation; and the transformation of the NRP from its current status as a ‘World Class Research Centre’ to embrace a successful ‘Next Generation Science Park’.
With over 2,700 scientists working on the Norwich Research Park (and more than 11,000 staff in total), it already has one of Europe’s largest single-site concentrations of research in Food, Health and Environmental Sciences. The NRP is also home to a growing number of scientific and IT based companies.
Alan Giles will report to the Norwich Research Park (NRP) Enterprise from Innovation Board. Walter Herriot, Chairman of the Enterprise from Innovation Board commented: “The NRP has been extremely fortunate in securing the services of Alan Giles. He has already made a significant contribution to the development of the NRP and we are confident that he will be able to build substantially on this.”
Alan’s key objectives will be to develop the strategy for the delivery and implementation of the NRP Vision and to establish the NRP as a key national and international centre for food, health and environmental research, innovation and enterprise and to leverage the NRP Vision to achieve substantial inward investment from companies and other bodies wishing to benefit from the NRP expertise and location. The appointment is on an interim basis initially whilst, as part of his duties, Alan determines the longer term structures required to take forward the NRP Vision.
Alan has been based at the NRP for the past five years, formerly as head of the Operations Centre, which supports the Norwich based institutes during which time overall administrative and support costs were reduced by more than 20%. This enabled higher spend on front line science. He was closely associated with the creation of a new BBSRC national institute, The Genome Analysis Centre, which is now located on the Norwich Research Park as well as the new NRP Innovation Centre. He remains Chair of the John Innes Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation Committee and advises on business development activities.
Alan Giles also has over 20 years’ worldwide experience in high-tech electronics, instrumentation and specialised manufacturing. He has a first degree in physics and further qualifications in finance. He has held Chief Executive roles for major divisions of Fortune 500 and PLC companies as well as for private equity and early stage organisations.