Alan Burbidge
An experienced and successful manager and networker with a proven track record in negotiating and delivering technology deals, creating fruitful collaborations and strategically building teams to secure substantial research funding. A coordinator and leader with responsibility for proactively building strategic relationships with numerous international partners at senior manager level. An innovative champion of ‘technology transfer’ driving the development of technologies and a creator of trust with academic communities. Described by senior colleagues as a ‘shaper’, a ‘completer’ and one who ‘delivers’. From 2003 - 2014 he led the commercial management of life-sciences technologies developed at the University of Nottingham and, additionally, shaped international research strategies. He has a strong track record in evaluating new technologies securing development and investment funding culminating in the negotiation of licence deals and / or the establishment and further development of spin-out companies. He has acted as non-executive director of university spin-out companies. His close involvement in the initiation and management of major institutional research bids which have a strong element of knowledge transfer has led to awards totaling over £45m.
He originally trained as a plant molecular geneticist gaining over a decade of postdoctoral experience. His blue-skies work led towards applied uses for his research results and initiated his keen interest in technology transfer. Soon after securing a 5-year research fellowship, he changed career to stimulate interest in technology transfer amongst the academic community and pursue the commercialisation of University inventions. He now manages the development of the Synthetic Biology Research Centre - Nottingham.