Jane Davies

Jane Davies  Director Jane Davies was appointed Chief Executive of Manchester Science Parks (msp) in October 2000. She has been a member of the Board of UKSPA since 2004 and in 2007 was elected Chairman. She has also twice served on the international board of the International Association of Science Parks, most recently as President of the European Division. Jane has a degree in chemistry from St Anne’s College, Oxford and joined BP Chemicals as a PVC plant chemist on graduation. She spent 18 years with BP in a range of roles including international oil trader in New York and regional manager of BP’s international aviation business, Air BP. During her time with BP she also spent two years on secondment to the Foreign Office. On leaving BP, Jane ran the Buxton (Opera) Festival for four years, where she gained valuable experience in running a micro business with insufficient resources. In her time at msp, the Company has expanded its operations to facilities on three sites in Manchester, and has invested in people and processes to strengthen the links between its tenant companies and its university shareholders. The science park and its tenants are seen as an important part of Manchester’s innovation system and msp works closely with the city’s investment agency, MIDAS, to attract overseas companies to set up their businesses in the city region. Jane is also a member of the Greater Manchester Commission for Economic Development, Employment and Skills and on the board of the City South Partnership which was formed in 2007 to realise the full potential of the area of Manchester adjacent to the universities as a research intensive cluster of cultural and scientific activity. As Chairman of UKSPA, she is on the board of the Institute of Knowledge Transfer and a member of the UKBI Enterprise Panel.