We are delighted to announce a raft of new appointments created through the Further Education Innovation Fund, to help expand innovation across Greater Manchester’s ten boroughs.
The Innovators in Residence will play a pivotal part in shaping the future of Further Education, and its connection with industry, across Greater Manchester. They will be responsible for identifying the key industry trends and future skills requirements for GM’s frontier sectors, and collaborating with the nine Further Education Colleges to share knowledge and to help develop technical education in line with the region’s skills demand.
Stephanie Bateman joins the team as Innovator in Residence, Health and Life Sciences, Daniel Higginson has been appointed Innovator in Residence, Net Zero, while Trevor Gregory joins as Innovator in Residence, Advanced Sustainable Materials & Manufacturing and finally Tom Marshall takes the role of Innovator in Residence, Digital & Creative
Steph has been seconded from Health Innovation Manchester, an organisation at the forefront of healthcare innovation, aiming to improve the lives of local people, transform care and boost the economy through innovation.
Steph is a registered Adult Nurse and has worked in nursing for more than 15 years, in a variety of clinical, research and service improvement roles.
Steph has delivered clinical expertise across a wide range of innovation projects in the Greater Manchester Health and life sciences landscape including the Innovate UK supported Advanced Diagnostics Accelerator programme. She brings a wealth of experience enhancing relationships between industry, academic partners and clinicians.
Steph explained, “I am passionate about the role that innovation can play in driving positive change for patients and the citizens of Greater Manchester. Innovation is vital for the health and life sciences sectors because these fields are rapidly evolving. Embracing new technologies and innovative approaches is essential to address the growing pressure on the NHS and improve outcomes for both patients and healthcare professionals.”
Prior to launching his first business, Dan gained an MSc in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Management from the University of Nottingham. He brings a wealth of experience to the role as he joins GMColleges on a secondment from the Manchester arm of Sustainable Ventures, Europe’s largest climate tech hub. Sustainable Ventures supports climate startups with expert advice, knowledge and funding, working with numerous government-backed bodies and local authorities to drive climate tech innovation throughout the UK.
Dan also has experience working for a Skills Bootcamp that retrained and upskilled people in Marketing and AI, seeing first-hand how an industry-led teaching approach empowers teams to be knowledgeable, capable and ready for the future.
Dan explained, “Innovation is crucial for achieving Net Zero because it drives the development of new technologies that are essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to a sustainable, low-carbon economy.
“I am excited to work alongside my colleagues to deliver true innovation and drive impactful results across the region.”
Trevor is an Industrial Chemist with an impressive career spanning education and industry, including several senior roles across the private and public sector. He has been involved in innovation strategy development and knowledge exchange activity regionally, nationally and across the EU. Most recently, Trevor was Head of Business Engagement and Enterprise in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Hull University.
Trevor stated, “Innovation is about doing something new or different and extracting value from it. The Advanced Sustainable Materials & Manufacturing sector is changing both continuously and rapidly, therefore businesses must be agile to change and take advantage of opportunities that arise. To do this, they must have the right internal culture and mind-set but also be part of an open innovation infrastructure where collaboration is of paramount importance.”
Tom has a wealth of experience across the digital and creative industries. As Creative Director of Captive North, Tom’s projects included brand campaigns and educational programmes, while his work as a Producer focused on identifying emerging trends, making him ideally placed to take on the role as Innovator in Residence.
Tom explained, “I’m looking forward to being part of a chain reaction. Curiosity is often the starting point of innovation, driving individuals to explore, question, and understand the world around them, leading to new ideas and creative solutions. Greater Manchester is currently on a rising wave of innovation, recognising its crucial role in shaping the future of our economy and the importance of engaging all boroughs and industries. In such a fast moving industry, the key is to explore and adapt in order to take advantage of opportunities and gaps within the market.”
Coral Grainger, who leads the team commented, “We are delighted to welcome the Innovators in Residence to our team. By working together we can harness our shared knowledge and expertise to create meaningful impact across Greater Manchester and continue to develop the partnership between Further Education and the wider innovation ecosystem.”
To find out more about the programme and these roles please visit FE Innovation | GMColleges (gmcg.ac.uk) or email teamGMFEIP@oldham.ac.uk
