Cranfield Vice-Chancellor appointed to taskforce examining the future of UK R&D

Cranfield University’s Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Peter Gregson, has been appointed to a leading business and universities taskforce that will be examining the future of UK research and development.

The taskforce has been formed by the National Centre of Universities and Business (NCUB) at the request of Research England and will focus on how to continue the progress of universities and business working together, while rising to the challenges set out in the UK Government’s Research and Development Roadmap.

Business and university collaboration is seen as key to advancing UK R&D, helping the country to economic recovery and delivering the roadmap’s long-term and important ambitions.

Other members joining Professor Gregson on the taskforce include: Lord Karan Bilimoria, President of CBI; Sir Ian Davies, Chairman of Rolls Royce; Jan Du Plessis, Chairman of BT; and Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

Professor Sir Peter Gregson, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University, said: “At Cranfield, we pride ourselves on our deep and meaningful partnerships with business. Those partnerships are a critical part of our distinctive specialist postgraduate education and research offerings in technology and management.

“I’m delighted to be appointed to this taskforce with such distinguished leading figures in UK business and academia. Throughout my career, I have championed the power of universities, business and government coming together to drive innovation and I’m looking forward to the work this taskforce will do in helping the nation realise its vital R&D ambitions.”

The full membership of the NCUB R&D taskforce is:

• Sam Laidlaw, Chair of NCUB and Chair of the Taskforce
• Lord Karan Bilimoria, President of CBI
• Sir Ian Davies, Chairman of Rolls Royce
• Jan Du Plessis, Chairman of BT
• Scot Gardner, Vice President Global at Cisco
• Anne Glover CBE, CEO and co-founder of Amadeus Capital Partners
• Sir Jonathan Symonds CBE, Non-Executive Chairman of GSK
• Thomas Thune Andersen, Chairman of Orsted
• Professor Julia Buckingham CBE, Vice-Chancellor and President of Brunel University London
• Professor Sir Peter Gregson, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University
• Professor Trevor McMillan, Vice-Chancellor of Keele University
• Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow
• Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford