Director of Midlands Engine Observatory appointed to ERC Steering Group

Director of the Midlands Engine Observatory, Professor Delma Dwight, has been appointed as one of eight new members to the Enterprise Research Centre’s Steering Group.

The new members to join the group are: Liz Barclay, the UK’s Small Business Commissioner; Verity Davidge, Make UK; Delma Dwight, Midlands Engine; Nola Hewitt-Dundas, Queens University Belfast; Lee Hopley, UK Finance; Dinah Jackson, NICRE/Rural Design Centre; Richard Jeffery, GC Business; and Naomi Weir, CBI.

The ERC has been delivering independent research to inform policy and practice on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) since 2013. The Centre is based jointly at Warwick and Aston University Business Schools and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Innovate UK, The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and the British Business Bank (BBB).  It is now the leading centre of excellence in the UK for research into the growth, innovation and productivity of SMEs and has become the ‘go-to’ reference point for anyone looking for robust, trusted data and insights on SME performance.

Professor Stephen Roper, Director of the ERC said: “I am very pleased to welcome the new members to the ERC Steering Group. We are looking forward to working with the group in what will be an exciting period for the ERC team as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary. The diverse range of skills, experience and perspectives we now have on the Steering Group will help ensure we continue to deliver policy-relevant research and maximise our impact.”

The ERC Steering Group consists of a range of stakeholders, all with a shared interest in creating the conditions for SMEs to thrive. Jane Galsworthy, Managing Director of Oxford Innovation Advice is the independent Chair of the Group, the purpose of which is to provide advice on the strategic direction of the Centre, as well as practical support with research communication and dissemination activity.