Andy Barnett

I am the Knowledge Transfer Adviser for South Yorkshire and the surrounding areas. The Knowledge Transfer Partnerships promote business led business led, open innovation by connecting companies with academic expertise to enable them to grow their business. I look after businesses supporting their projects with knowledge bases in many parts of the country. I also maintain relationships with a number of designated universities in relation to participation in the programme.

I am an internationally experienced business leader, business adviser, and an advanced level Programme Manager. An aerospace engineer by first discipline, I have many years’ experience working at the interface between business and academia in the knowledge transfer and innovation space, helping mentor and develop high-performing teams and commercialise IP.

Most recently I was director of an Anglo-Italian Oil and Gas engineering services company, and prior to that I was the London Business Manager for Wood Group’s multidisciplinary Integrity Management operations for the EAME region. I have over 30 years’ senior level international management experience of Advanced Engineering, Oil and Gas and Energy and Aerospace sectors.

I have also held directorships of 5 UK SMEs and a FTSE 250 plc. I worked in the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds, and spent 4 years as a Technology Entrepreneur for the Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme, working with high-growth spin-out businesses from the Scottish science base.

My Innovation experience includes extensive Regional and National Innovation Programme delivery and over 25 years’ collaborative EU Framework Programme project development and management, building successful transnational research consortia.