Edinburgh Innovations (EI), the University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service, has announced the appointment of two new Non-Executive Directors to its Board, following previous appointments in January.
Elizabetta Camilleri and Gemma Atkinson bring data and AI strategy and people and culture skills to support mission-driven innovation and entrepreneurship at the University.
Edinburgh Innovations (EI) recently announced strong annual commercialisation figures, including 64 new companies, with 65 per cent aligned to the University’s mission of harnessing data and AI for public good; £56m invested in spinouts; 62 licences entered into for companies to employ University technologies and 1,236 jobs created to date by University-associated companies.
Elizabetta Camilleri brings tech and data-driven entrepreneurial
expertise, having founded and first-to-market, data-driven AI retail
platform Shopological, which exited in 2019. She now serves as an
advisor and non-exec director in the fintech, telecoms and health tech
sectors, including chairing health tech company Togetherall and data-led
communications consultancy Quietroom.
Gemma Atkinson is a people and operations leader with extensive board and advisory experience across multi-market organisations, including advertising innovator Active International, where she was Chief Operating Officer, and corporate trade company AMS, where she was Global Chief People Officer.
Dr Andrea Taylor, EI’s CEO, said:
We are delighted to welcome Gemma Atkinson and Elizabetta Camilleri to EI’s Board, chaired by Dr Frank Armstrong. They bring a powerful combination of international commercial experience, people and culture leadership, and deep expertise in digital, data and AI-driven innovation. Their insight will help further strengthen our governance and shape our ambitious strategy, developing EI as a forward-looking, innovative commercialisation arm that is central to the University’s mission to deliver impact.
We know that unlocking innovation across the University’s focus areas of shaping future health and care, tackling the climate and environmental crisis and harnessing data, digital and AI is the key to improving lives for all, and we look forward to building on our successes so far with our University partners, guided by the acumen, experience and expertise of our Board.”
Elizabetta Camilleri said:
I’m convinced that our universities in the UK create a vast bank of knowledge with the raw power to transform our economy and society. As a result, I’m excited to support EI and the University of Edinburgh in accelerating the commercialisation of their discoveries; unlocking value and maximising impact for the benefit of us all.”
Gemma Atkinson said:
In EI’s ambition to translate world-class research into leading companies, culture can be the competitive advantage. By operationalising our values of collaboration, ownership and learning, we create the conditions for people to thrive and, under these conditions, there is no limit on innovation.”
