Chief Business Officer
Simon Edmonds is Chief Business Officer for Innovate UK.
In this role he is responsible for the grand challenge sector teams and Innovate UK’s European and International activity. This role is responsible for Innovate UK’s four grand challenge areas: AI and Informatics; Clean Growth; Ageing Society, Health & Nutrition; and Manufacturing, Materials & Mobility. It also leads the international function.
Simon joined Innovate UK in 2013 as Director for the Catapult Programme. He was previously Director for Innovation at the UK Government’s then Department for Business Innovation and Skills where his role included sponsorship of the Technology Strategy Board (now Innovate UK) as well as other bodies within the UK innovation ecosystem such as the Design Council, Nesta, National Measurement System, BSI and UKAS.
Through his work at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and predecessor departments, he has been responsible for many innovation and growth reviews and the manufacturing strategies published in 2004 and 2008. As Director for Innovation he worked closely with Hermann Hauser to deliver the review and subsequent funding for the network of Catapult research and technology centres.
When the coalition Government came to power Simon led the project to close the Regional Development Agencies that had been created and operating for the previous decade. The project was completed on time, on budget and took two and a half years to complete. Approaching the end of the project Simon became responsible for the Government’s Regional Growth Fund.
He was previously Chief Executive and Divisional Managing Director of a number of SME businesses and had a 16-year career with Raychem Corporation.
Simon graduated with a business degree from Aston University and has an MBA from Henley Management College. Simon is also a graduate of the Government’s Major Projects Leadership Academy. Simon is a high risk review team leader and has taken part and led many reviews for the Infrastructure Projects Authority.
Previous roles
Deputy Executive Chair, Innovate UK
2018 to 2021
Director – Manufacturing, Materials & Mobility, Innovate UK
2016 to 2018
Last updated: 31 March 2022