Birmingham Science Park has appointed former Advantage West Midlands (AWM) Director Henriette Lyttle-Breukelaar to lead its European Projects team.
As director of AWM, Henriette worked with developers, planning authorities, funders and the local business community. Her previous responsibilities in the organisation included managing the Business Cluster agenda and overseeing various multi-million European Regional Development Funded projects and schemes within the West Midlands.
Henriette’s remit as European Projects Manager at Birmingham Science Park covers all interactions on behalf of the Science Park with European regions and partners. She has responsibility for coordinating projects with both the public and private sector, as well as developing and delivering strategies with a wide range of stakeholders, including research organisations and third sector bodies within the West Midlands.
Henriette’s work focuses in particular on representing the West Midlands as one of 6 European regions in the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s multi-million Euro ‘Climate Knowledge Innovation Community (KIC)’ programme. This programme provides specific support for West Midlands based innovators, entrepreneurs and innovative businesses working on technologies and products that will address climate change concerns.
Dr David Hardman MBE, CEO of Birmingham Science Park said: “I am delighted to welcome Henriette to our team and have no doubt she will make a significant and positive contribution to our work. It is important for us and for the Midlands as a whole to continue to build on our European networks to ensure we are able to participate in and receive the benefits of wider collaborative projects and investment streams. These activities and our involvement in facilitating them are crucial in delivering the city’s economic objectives by stimulating knowledge growth and job creation.
“As a focal point of action we are increasingly working to become an innovation agency for the region. Along with our expertise in a range of innovative projects and our flourishing entrepreneurial community, we are ideally positioned to catalyse a wide range of innovations supporting the Knowledge Economies.
Henriette’s involvement in the early stages of the Climate KIC project, while at AWM, means she has an extensive understanding of the low-carbon market and the tremendous opportunities deriving from interactions between local leading academic institutions and industry in developing, testing and promoting new approaches and technologies to combat climate change.
Her experience of such innovative projects with both large corporates and SME’s (Small to Medium Enterprises) within the Midlands, equips her with the knowledge and contacts to identify opportunities for low-carbon and clean tech entrepreneurs based within the region by offering targeted support and funding through the Science Park’s Entrepreneurs for the Future centre.
Henriette Lyttle-Breukelaar, European Projects Manager at Birmingham Science Park said: “Working for a forward looking organisation such as Birmingham Science Park, making a contribution to the fight against climate change, working on a number of strong projects, and developing others is an exciting prospect.
“My previous role at AWM enabled me to gain a good understanding of various low-carbon, energy saving and energy efficiency developments, and in particular how these issues effect and are applicable to the West Midlands region. Now at Birmingham Science Park I plan to further develop the European projects portfolio in support of the region’s economic criteria and the Science Park’s mission of driving a diversified Knowledge Economy.”