Alex Smeets

Alex Smeets joined Oxford Innovation (part of SQW Group) in March 2007.  He is based in SQW's office in Histon, Cambridge and is responsible for business development, innovation centre management, innovation support delivery and consultancy.  Previously, he was an Executive Director of St John's Innovation Centre.

At St John's Innovation Centre Alex was closely involved with the early development of START, a Joint Venture between St John's Innovation Centre and Start International set up to design, build and operate innovation centres throughout the UK. He also provided consultancy and delivered presentations on the development of the Cambridge Cluster for public authorities in the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Poland. Other programmes he has managed/delivered include the EU-funded Innovation Relay Centres, the regional Fifth Framework Programme Advisory Service and the DTI Technology Programme (forerunner of the TSB Collaborative R&D competition). 

Alex has a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Cambridge.  He worked in materials research and development for five years at Cookson Group before branching out into the support of innovation, entrepreneurship and the commercialisation of new knowledge.