John Abraham

My academic background is primarily technical and after obtaining a B.Eng. in Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Leeds in 1986, I then studied Polymer Engineering at the Cranfield Institute of Technology, obtaining an MSc in 1988. I then worked for Scott Bader Co Ltd until 2006, an independent resin producer, where I specialised in polymer development for composite materials as a European R&D Manager. This work involved product development for resins, gelcoats, adhesives and fire-retardant materials, plus extensive production and customer support across industries as diverse as marine and aerospace.
Subsequent experience gained at Pera, Ixion and Inventya has focused on supporting companies (and their wider consortia) to realise their ambitions in terms of innovation, business development and funding/grant support. This work has covered all aspects of innovation and business development. I particularly enjoy problem solving to strengthen funding applications and have enjoyed significant success in securing major grants across a wide range of technology areas. This experience includes a variety of funding schemes including Horizon Europe, Innovate UK, BEIS (now DESNZ) and Eurostars to name a few.
Of my many interests, I particularly enjoy dog walking, playing chess and wildlife photography.