New board members join innovation support organisation

Interface has welcomed new members to its Strategic Board, from business and academic backgrounds, with a focus on supporting business-academic collaborations.

Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of Scotland’s Rural College, will succeed Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, who has been Chair of the board since 2018.

Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne and Dr Alicia Greated have joined the 11-strong Board, along with Dr Andrea Taylor, from Edinburgh Innovations Ltd, which hosts Interface.

Amelia Whitelaw, Director of Interface, said: “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Professor Nolan for her exceptional leadership and unwavering support as Chair of the board. Andrea has been a strong champion of Interface’s work, and her stewardship has guided us through some very challenging times, helping us to continue making a significant impact.

“I am absolutely delighted to welcome Professor Powell as our new Chair, along with the new board members, who bring a wealth of experience to help guide and shape Interface’s ambition to create meaningful impact for society and the Scottish economy.

“The changes in our Strategic Board reflect Interface's growing ambition to leverage the collective expertise of academia and industry in Scotland. With the addition of our new members, we are better positioned than ever to support business innovation, regional strategic programmes, and the evolving priorities of our colleges and universities. Their diverse perspectives and deep knowledge will be invaluable as we continue to expand our impact and drive forward Scotland's innovation agenda.

Professor Wayne Powell added: “As I step into the role of Chair, I am inspired by the transformative journey Interface has undertaken and the strategic vision we have set for the future. Our mission is clear: to drive impactful collaborations between academia and industry, enhancing innovation capabilities across Scotland's colleges and universities. With business innovation as our strong foundation, we aim to support strategic programmes and facilitate diverse partnerships to maximize our impact. I look forward to working with our exceptional team and partners to build on these successes and firmly establish Interface as a cornerstone of Scotland’s innovation ecosystem."

Professor Andrea Nolan said: “I have greatly enjoyed my association with Interface over the past seven years. I've seen first-hand how Interface has strengthened vital connections between businesses and academia, driving real impact. As I step down as Chair, I am confident Interface will continue to be a key player in Scotland's future success and prosperity.”

Interface will further strengthen the Strategic Board with a call for new board members opening in the Autumn.

Biographies

Professor Wayne Powell - Chair

Professor Wayne Powell is Principal and Chief Executive of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the UK’s leading agri-food-environment, tertiary education institution.

His previous roles include Chief Science Officer at CGIAR, a global agri-food partnership, Professor & Founding Director of the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, and CEO & Director NIAB, Cambridge. He is a Senior Fullbright Scholar and worked for the DuPont Company in the USA.

Wayne has more than 30 years’ experience working in plant genetics and has extensive experience leading organisational and cultural change programmes.
Wayne is a member of Scotland’s Science Advisory Council, Board member of NatureScot and member of the FCDO Research Advisory Group (RAG). Until recently he was a member of both DEFRA and DFID’s Science Advisory Council and Convenor of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee of Universities Scotland. He maintains an active research group and is an elected Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Dr Andrea Taylor

Andrea is CEO of Edinburgh Innovations (EI), the commercialisation service of the University of Edinburgh. She has worked at EI for 7 years during which time EI has helped the University grow its industrial and translational income from £10m to over £90m and double company launches to 123.

Andrea has secured multimillion pound seed investment from first time investors leading to the creation of several spin outs. She has led numerous commercial and licence deals contributing to the University of Edinburgh rising from 15th to one of the top 5 UK universities for business engagement (HESA HE-BCI Survey).

Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne FRSE

Chef, author, and founder of gluten-free pioneers, Genius Foods, Lucinda is Chair of Scotland Food and Drink. She mentors and invests in innovative new food and well-being businesses.

Appointed as Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence at Edinburgh University in 2018 to 2021, Lucinda continues to support the School of Physics and Astronomy as industry advisor.

Dr Alicia Greated

Dr Alicia Greated is Executive Director of Campaign for Science and Engineering where she leads a dynamic organisation that has shaped significant changes in UK public policy.

Prior to this, Alicia was CEO of the Knowledge Transfer Network, and previously was Global Director of Research and Enterprise at Heriot Watt University.

Alicia is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and holds a number of advisory roles including as a member of the Royal Society’s Science, Industry and Translation Committee, and a recently as a member of the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee.