InCrops has announced the appointment of Marie Francis OBE as its Chair. Marie brings connections with research based and commercial organisations across the East of England and has strong links to the agricultural and food industry. She holds a degree in Biology from UEA and has worked in agriculture in various roles for most of her career.
Commenting on her appointment she said “I am really excited about the opportunities that exist to produce new, high value, crop based products. Satisfying the needs of a growing world population in a sustainable, low carbon way will continue to drive innovation in the bioscience sector and the East of England has a number of world class research organisations. I believe that InCrops has an important role to play in helping to develop the commercial opportunities that this research base represents – I look forward to joining the team.”
Professor Trevor Davies, UEA Pro Vice Chancellor for Research, Enterprise and Engagement commented “We are delighted that Marie Francis has agreed to be Chair of InCrops. She will be a great asset for InCrops which is playing a major role in stimulating the contribution of crops to sustainability and new business opportunities.”
InCrops has also appointed two new Business Innovations Managers to its growing team. Bianca Forte and Benedict Binns joined the Enterprise Hub earlier this year and both bring a wealth of experience within their specialist sectors.
Bianca holds a degree in Biological Sciences and an MSc in Environmental Management for Business. Having previously worked as a Bioscientist for various research projects, she will be taking on the lead within the biofuels and bioenergy sectors.
Ben is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the built environment sector. Prior to joining InCrops, Ben completed a Strategic Carbon Management MBA at UEA and, along with his experience in generating and developing business he provides consultancy services to clients looking to develop low carbon products.