I worked with Julian when he served between 2018-2025 as an associate director at Connected Places Catapult.  The Catapult reports to Innovate UK and is part-funded by them as the UK's innovation accelerator for cities, transport and place leadership. 

 

During and after my time as Head of the Associates Programme, and a former successor programme (2018-2025), Julian brokered, developed or supported relationships for Connected Places Catapult with government ministers, parliamentarians, civil servants, captains of industry, data and other scientists, engineers, investors, academics and journalists.  He also brokered: the Catapult's support for the pedestrianisation of London's historic Strand-Aldwych district; and industry investment into our Advanced Construction Accelerator programme.

 

Julian played a key role in research and preparation for parliamentary committee appearances and submissions and with organising: parliamentary receptions; a high level UK-Sharjah, UAE symposia; and a smart cities roundtable.  Through Julian's support, the Catapult brokered relationships that enabled renowned social entrepreneur Lord Mawson and stakeholders to launch the Professor Brian Cox Science Summer School in Northern Ireland.  This NI science school initiative was a key part of our strategy to foster the skills pipeline between schools and the tech sector, after the Catapult CEO helped deliver a projected £2 billion GVA for high tech jobs and investment in the Belfast City Region through a  £1 billion-plus City Deal which included £350 million match-funding from HM Treasury.  

 

After Julian gave a speech to West Midlands entrepreneurs, I commissioned him to write a two-part essay on how national postwar economic planning contributed to the former decline of postwar Britain's then-richest city region (per capita) - Birmingham & the West Midlands.  This fed into a Catapult submission to the 'Science & tech Superpower' parliamentary inquiry.  Julian also provided some strategic support for my work as co-founder of the Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC).  This was under the umbrella of the Catapult and the University of Birmingham and the University of Manchester, with support from Innovate UK.  Julian also supported me in a strand of our cooperation with the Energy Systems Catapult.  He also facilitated a former NHS England CEO's contribution to our podcast relating to housing, placemaking and health.  

 

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