James Chaffer

Background

About James Chaffer

Experienced and enthusiastic technology & innovation management professional, appointed Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Science Park Association (UKSPA) in January 2022. Always open to assisting those in the national innovation ecosystem to find ways to work collaboratively together.I previously spent two years as Operations Director at the University of Nottingham Innovation Park (UNIP - I love a good acronym), where I had overall responsibility for sqft of office space for technology startups, spin-outs and SMEs, successfully managing the Innovation Park through the difficult periods of Covid lockdowns while maintaining occupancy levels.My background is in financial and management software development and project management. Prior to my move to managing an innovation environment, I accumulated almost 25 years of experience in the software industry, primarily providing management systems and consultancy services to innovation, incubation, science and technology park clients across the UK. During this time, I also served as a Non-executive Director of UKSPA for six years, representing the interests of Business Affiliate members on the Board.I am looking to build on the excellent work of the previous UKSPA Executive Director, Jim Duvall, under whose expert direction the Association has gone from strength to strength, with the largest membership in its history ensuring long-term stability. The ambition of the Association is to enhance its standing and influence with national and local policy-makers, in order to further promote the significance of its Member locations to the national Innovation Strategy and future economic prosperity.Skills: Relationship building, emerging technology, innovation ecosystems, business support, client engagement, promoting collaboration, service design & delivery, consultancy, sales & marketing, training, performance measurement, event management, facilities management, accounting & finance, management systems, automation & integration.