Ben Woods Director of Regional Development and Advocacy
Responsible for leading the University’s initiatives and strategies for regional economic development and regeneration.
Contact details
Ben Woods, Director of Regional Development and Advocacy b.woods@bath.ac.uk +44 (0)1225 384497
Role
Ben is responsible for:
developing strategic relationships and networks with key stakeholders and representing the University externally to engage with the regional economy
identifying improvements and opportunities for exploiting the University’s space for business incubation and innovation
evaluating and advising on the risks and costs of innovative solutions for increasing the University’s contribution to the regional and national economy
overseeing operational and financial plans for the University’s SETsquared Bath Innovation Centre and ensuring it is strategically aligned to the University’s innovation agenda
reviewing the impact of the University’s business incubation and scale up support programmes on the local economy and making market comparisons
Career
Ben joined the University in June 2018 as Head of Research Commercialisation and Enterprise, before becoming Head of Regional Development, also in Research and Innovation Services (RIS). Prior to joining the University, he worked for over fifteen years’ in a variety of regeneration, economic development and commercialisation roles, in both the public and private sectors. He has successfully secured funding for large scale capital programmes and projects designed to promote inclusive growth and the commercialisation of services.
Education
Ben has a BA in Economics from the University of East Anglia and an MSC in Planning Policy and Practice from South Bank University.