This week, Mark Humphries joined us as the new Head of Accelerate.
Accelerate focuses on innovation, and how innovative solutions can transform the health sector in Wales. Our programme partners – Life Sciences Hub Wales, Cardiff University, Swansea University, and University of Wales Trinity St David – work together, offering enterprises a wealth of expertise and knowledge, to give ideas the best chance of success in the health and care sector.
Mark’s role will be to oversee the delivery of the entire programme, helping it support opportunities to flourish and grow, guiding and navigating innovators, and ultimately, speeding up the journey from idea to solution to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Wales.
A Research Chemist by background, with a PhD in Chemistry, Mark joins us from Cardiff University, where he was Technical Manager at the School of Biosciences. While there, he managed various research and support teams, looking at bid development and various strategic projects. Before that, Mark was Programme Manager at the University of Birmingham, working on four European Regional Development Fund projects across seven years. He has also directed metabolism trials for a chemicals company.
Speaking about his appointment, Mark said, ‘This is a really exciting time for Wales and healthcare, as the Accelerate programme is an opportunity to make a real, significant change. I’m looking forward to bringing the partners together as one team – making sure we can make a lasting impact, and deliver our objectives, in a tight timeframe.’
A £24m programme, Accelerate is co-funded by the Welsh European Funding Office European Regional Development Fund, the Welsh Government’s Health and Social Services Group, Life Sciences Hub Wales, universities, and health boards.
If you’d like to find out more about the Accelerate programme and how it could help you – whether you’re an innovator with a great idea, or work in the health sector and are looking for a solution to a specific problem – drop us an email on accelerate@lshubwales.com.
