Business

Vice-Chancellor appointed to SEEDA

Published 2 December 2009

Professor Julian Crampton, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton, has been appointed to join the Board of SEEDA, the South East England Development Agency.

SEEDA supports the economic development of the south-east and works at local, regional, national and international levels to attract inward investment, to help businesses reach their full potential and to win practical support from a range of partners. It brings funding into the region to help with economic growth.

Professor Crampton has been Vice-Chancellor of the university since 2005. He was educated at the University of Sussex and holds a doctorate from the University of Warwick, and held research appointments in London and in Boston, USA. He was the founding Head of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Liverpool, before becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor (in 2000) and Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor (in 2003).

Professor Crampton's own research is in the area of molecular biology and biotechnology with a particular interest in tropical diseases and human genetic diseases. He was a co-founder of Insecta Ltd, and was one of the founders of the Liverpool Science Park, the National Biomanufacturing Centre at Speke, the Liverpool Biotechnology Incubator (MerseyBIO), and Liverpool Ventures – a £25M proof of concept fund to support new businesses on Merseyside.

Professor Crampton is chairman of HBRL (trading as SeaSpace), the company established by SEEDA to deliver regeneration to Hastings and Bexhill. He is also chairman of Higher Education South East (the body which brings together all universities/higher education institutions in the south-east of England), a member of SESETAC (SEEDAs, Science and Industry advisory committee), a member of the CBI’s Innovation, Science and Technology Committee and Chairman of MDHub (a ‘Club’ which brings together the 100 highest growth SMEs in Brighton).

Finally, Professor Crampton is Treasurer of Universities UK, and Vice-Chair of the Universities UK committee on Employer, Business and Innovation which develops strategy for UK higher education on university business interaction, employability and exploitation/innovation.

His and three other appointments were announced by Rosie Winterton, Minister for Regional Economic Development and Coordination, who said: "They bring a wealth of experience and leadership to the role and the contribution they can make will be extremely valuable to the RDA's work supporting growth in the region as the UK moves towards economic recovery".