Alex Smeets is a materials scientist by training but has been involved in the support of innovation and entrepreneurship for about 20 years. He runs his own innovation consultancy business and is a presenter, workshop facilitator and adviser on business grants and grant funding programmes and an assessor of grant applications for the UK Technology Strategy Board and the Eureka Eurostars Secretariat. Until April 2011 Alex was a Regional Director of Oxford Innovation Ltd, where his responsibilities encompassed delivering innovation and access to finance support in the East of England region and developing Oxford Innovation’s business of managing innovation centres. His activities also included undertaking consultancy assignments for Oxford Innovation’s sister company SQW Consulting. Prior to working for Oxford Innovation, Alex was a Director of St John’s Innovation Centre in Cambridge.

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