Creating connections in the East Midlands

Peter Winton is a manufacturing engineering senior with direct experience of processes in the automotive, precision engineering and aerospace industries.

Peter has held senior roles within companies where manufacturing is their heart-beat, as well as directorships in SMEs and expansion of small subsidiaries. His experience ranges from general management, expanding businesses and capital investment, to running operations and developing world-wide supply chains. 

Peter was responsible for the development of the Rolls-Royce Manufacturing UTC with University of Nottingham, expanding it ten-fold in ten years and winning the ‘Most Innovative University’ award from Rolls-Royce for their many patents.

Since retiring, Peter was the Royal Society Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Nottingham with the Faculty of Engineering, and now fulfils the same role with the UoN TTO. He advises on intellectual property identification, protection and commercial exploitation, whether through new product lines, licencing or spin-out company formation, and has supported six teams through ICURe in the last five years.

Paul Yeomans is currently Head of Business Engagement at the University of Nottingham. He leads teams that oversee all aspects of business engagement, from establishing initial contacts with companies to supporting them through government-funded innovation programs such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) and Innovate UK (CR&D). His teams also manage corporate relationships with some of the world’s largest organizations. Before transitioning to the higher education sector, Paul spent 15 years in technical sales and marketing roles within the print and engineering industries.

Joe is a Commercial Manager at the University of Leicester and has over 13 years’ experience delivering a broad range of Knowledge Exchange activities that span across academic consultancy, technical services and technology transfer.

Most recently, he has led a review on the University IP & Spin-Out Policies and processes, manages funding to support commercialisation of social science research and continues to support a broad portfolio of intellectual property, spin-out, consultancy and technical services projects. 

Prior to joining the University of Leicester in July 2016 as the University’s Consultancy Manager, Joe was a Senior Project Manager for six years in the Oxford University Consulting (OUC) team at Oxford University Innovation, where he led a small team managing consultancy and services in medical and life sciences from the University of Oxford. Before this, Joe worked at a consultancy firm in Oxford where he spent four and a half years providing support to pharmaceutical and biotech companies engaged in deal-making. He previously obtained his PhD in Immunology from University College London and spent time in post-doctoral research at the Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research.

Paul Humphreys leads the East Midlands Chamber Innovation Services team, delivering 121 bespoke supports to businesses across innovation strategies. East Midlands Chamber’ partnership with Innovate UK ensures innovative businesses looking to grow and scale at pace have access to the tools, connections, and support to do so. Paul has worked across the business support ecosystem for 15 years and has been with East Midlands Chamber since 2017. Living and working in the East Midlands, Paul describes himself a complete advocate for the region, and master connector.

Steve Hargreaves is the regional Knowledge Exchange Advisor for the East Midlands region for Innovate UK Business Connect, he is based in Derby.  He supports businesses and University partnerships under the Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships funding.  Prior to joining Innovate UK he has a background in working for 2 Universities and 2 Colleges – in roles managing education and industry collaborations.  He has an MBA and is a qualified trainer, careers advisor and assessor.  His varied career includes various consultancy and advisory roles and a tenure as a NED and a term as vice chair of governors for a school.

Pedro is a Knowledge Transfer Manager in the AgriFood Team at Innovate UK Business Connect. His work focuses on plant and crop production, helping innovative companies and research organisations find collaborators and apply for public and private funding. Pedro’s expertise encompasses precision farming, controlled environment agriculture, root development, and biological and sustainable solutions to agricultural challenges. He holds a PhD in Crop Science from the University of Nottingham and has extensive experience in crop-based agriculture. This expertise was gained through a career in academic research and as Chief Crop Scientist at Azotic Technologies, where he led commercial projects. His areas of expertise include nitrogen use efficiency, water uptake, plant/crop phenotyping, root architecture, and the development of innovative biofertilisers.

The British Business Bank is the UK’s economic development bank. Our mission is to drive sustainable growth and prosperity across the UK, and to enable the transition to a net zero economy, by improving access to finance for smaller businesses. The Bank delivers a series of debt and equity programmes across the UK supported by over 200 Delivery Partners. 

Lewis Stringer joined the British Business Bank in October 2016 as the MEIF Senior Relationship Manager, covering the East and South-East Midlands and worked on the Bank’s high-profile Covid-19 response initiatives. He currently works in the UK Network Team for the Bank as a Senior Manager, covering the East & South-East Midlands and supporting demand-side initiatives, as well as the recently launched £400m Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) II. 

Lewis has over 25 years’ experience in economic development including two years at Capital for Enterprise Limited (the Bank's predecessor), where he worked in the Debt Team on the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme and former RDA legacy funds, ten years at East Midlands Development Agency (emda) in the Business Investment Team, where he managed a team and a series of grant, loan and equity funds, and investment readiness programmes, and five years at Nottingham City Council. Lewis also has over five years commercial and personal banking experience with Lloyds Banking Group.