Emma Cowan

I am the Knowledge Transfer Advisers for Midlands and Northwest Midlands. I am responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) between businesses and academia in areas including: South East Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and South Manchester.

I spent 22-years Telecoms industry spending nearly 20 of those years working in transformation, change, innovation and idea management. It was a fascinating period of time identifying disruptive technologies, leading innovation transformation in a large organisation whilst advising and guiding idea submitters and entrepreneurs.

I have expertise in modernising corporate innovation functions to best meet new emerging challenges. I enjoy creating value through innovation, learning new things, coaching/ teaching talent and developing new ways to release innovation, ideas and enable disruptive thinking.

After leaving BT I wanted to do something completely different and joined Innovate UK as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) working on grand funded projects in XR technology. I re-joined Innovate UK Business Connect in October 2023 after spending some time in the nuclear sector. I have a keen interest in new and emerging technology and how it fits into our future. I also have an interest in agriculture, equestrian and sport. In my own time I am very active believing that being outdoors and sport is a great way to manage good mental health and personal and professional resilience.