Programme Committee
Kevin Cullen
Kevin was appointed Director of Research & Enterprise (R&E) at the University of Glasgow in October 2003 and he is responsible for directing activities in order to achieve the research and enterprise objectives of the University. This includes working with the Vice-Principal of Research & Enterprise in developing the University’s research strategy and the development and implementation of the knowledge transfer/ commercialisation strategy for the University. Kevin also leads the University's involvement in many areas of Economic Development, particularly with Scottish Enterprise and through the European Structural Funds.
Kevin has a strong interest in all aspects of 'research and enterprise' type activities of universities and particularly the roles to be played by the universities in knowledge transfer. He developed a framework in which the University sometimes acts as an agent of economic development (outreach) and sometimes acts as a venturer to make financial returns (outcome). This outreach / outcome spectrum is helping to define the terms of reference for the knowledge transfer debate amongst research funders and policy makers and is currently used as the basis for allocation of knowledge transfer grant in Scotland. Kevin also has a long-standing interest in economic development, spin-out companies, and developing the University interface with SMEs (small and medium-sized companies). This interest has been reflected in the recent establishment of the £2.3m Glasgow Innovation Network project to develop linkages between the University and the business base.
Kevin joined R&E in 1999 from Heriot-Watt University, where he held responsibility for devising and implementing the University's commercialisation strategy. He has also worked for Procter & Gamble in the UK and Belgium, in the fields of technical brand management, product development, and technology development covering Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. He has acted as an external expert and consultant in a number of international projects, particularly focused on knowledge transfer.
His qualifications include a PhD in physical-organic chemistry from the University of Edinburgh. Kevin is ASTP vice-president responsible for metrics and surveys. He is a past-president of Unico (the UK research commercialisation association) and also currently vice-president for metrics and surveys in AUTM (Association of University Technology Managers) – the world’s largest academic technology transfer association. He is also a Board Member of ASTP, Europe’s leading Knowledge Transfer Association.
