Member Spotlight: David Brayne, Senior Innovation & Growth Specialist – Innovate UK Business Growth

1. Introduce yourself

Hi, I’m David Brayne, a Senior Innovation & Growth Specialist for Innovate UK Business Growth, one of 400+ specialists across the country. This service is provided through 25+ consortium providers, of which the largest, RTC North, delivers services and support to innovative and ambitious SME’s from Cheshire, to Cumbria, Northumberland to West Yorkshire and everywhere in between. We help connect, advise, coach and mentor SME’s to overcome and succeed in their innovation and growth journeys. Access to finance and funding, collaborative R&D and adoption of new business models are just a few tools in our bag.

2. Career highlight

What inspired me to embrace innovation was during my time in Environmental Services, part of United Utilities PLC, where I developed, trialled, overcame regulatory barriers and found both economic and environmental benefits in a novel treatment process. The successful implementation of this won an Excellence in Environmental Innovation Award from the CIWM. If the implementation itself wasn’t enough, the accolade was the cherry. I’m no engineer, but I had a go.

3. Name three words that describe your personality

Tenacious, Maverick, Inspiring

4. What’s the best thing about pro-manchester

I joined pro-Manchester during COVID, a challenging time to maintain and build connections, but having been thrust into hosting a panel at one of the then online-only and now hybrid events, I value the opportunity to share and learn from our business community. As part of the Green Economy Committee, I am able to contribute to the Net Zero and Sustainable aspirations of the city region by connecting locally, nationally and through international portals.

5. What are your priorities for 2024

My aims have not changed as I am driven to inspiring and assisting companies in whatever ways we can towards more sustainable and prosperous modes of operation and in the creation of better solutions for people, planet and the economy.

6. What do you think are the most important things going on in Manchester at the moment?

I’m inspired by the activities being led at a city level to engage and make substantial progress in the Net Zero Ambition and to balance this with continued economic growth, improvements in the quality of life and the broader adoption of our own responsibility to take care of our future capabilities. Organisations and members like Bee Net Zero, Companies of all sizes and the GMCA all working towards and inspiring others is great to see after 30 years of being an advocate.

7. Favourite meeting place in Manchester

Hard to pick one place but I do like the contrast that can be experienced in Spinningfields where you can have a beer and hear music under the canvas of a Teepee surrounded by the polished glass of the modern architecture.

8. Are there any particular types of businesses that you would like to meet

There is no business that can’t adopt or develop something new, so I’d like to meet any truly ambitious business that wants to make a positive change, to push their own boundaries and reap the rewards beyond simply economic success.

Get In Touch

Email:[email protected]

Phone:07917018618

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrayne/