As a Medilink Midlands Innovation Adviser, Ben is responsible for assisting companies with identifying, evaluating, and implementing innovative solutions to enhance their products, services, and processes. Working closely with clients he can provide strategic guidance and support to accelerate the development and commercialisation of cutting-edge medical technologies. Being able to foresee barriers to innovation, Ben supports companies to overcome these, as well as providing members with signposting, networking opportunities and further education.
Ben is also Sustainability Lead at Medilink Midlands, a role which involves finding practical solutions to help companies reach their goals and achieve net zero by their intended date. He is passionate about educating people, building supportive networks and making them aware of the needs for sustainable practices within the sector.
Being certified Carbon Literate, it is no surprise that Ben’s sustainability work has been the highlight of his time at Medilink Midlands so far, and he enjoys educating businesses and individuals on the importance of sustainability.
Ben came to Medilink Midlands straight from academia, where he first developed an interest in science and the innovation side of research. His undergraduate degree was in Medicinal Chemistry with Pharmacology and from this, he went on to study an interdisciplinary master’s degree in biomedical research at the University of Warwick. He then studied a PhD at Warwick which combined biology, chemistry, and engineering.
Throughout his education, Ben was exposed to the impact that scientific research could have when it was ready for market. Being able to see the end point was a driving force for him, and he knew he wanted to work in the innovation and product-ready stage, as it would allow him to see the impact his work had on the population.
At Medilink Midlands, Ben’s main region of focus is the West Midlands, however his sustainability work has taken him all across the country. He believes that most businesses challenges, particularly those related to sustainability, are not regionally based and so it is important for the entire country to work together wherever they can.
When asked about the future of the life science sector, Ben emphasises the importance of the Midlands: “Since working as an Innovation Adviser at Medilink Midlands, I have seen a real push for the levelling up of the Midlands as a life science hub. Historically Oxford, Cambridge and London have been the heart of the life sciences sector, however it is now widely acknowledged that there is a great deal of potential in the Midlands waiting to be unlocked.”
To learn more about the team at Medilink Midlands, click here.
