Last month the Chief Scientific Adviser appointed by the Department for International Trade (DIT) was announced as Dr Mike Short, chair of the PETRAS Steering Board.
In addition to his close work with PETRAS Mike will be taking over 40 years of technical expertise to the department through his work in the Electronics and Telecommunications sectors, including former Vice President of Telefonica. He will be taking up his post this November.
As head of the science and engineering profession at DIT, Dr Short will play a key role in ensuring the department’s policy is informed by the best science, engineering and technical advice and will advise on the technical aspects of future trade deals. Part of his remit at the DIT will be to work closely with the UK’s research, development and academic communities to promote British scientific and engineering exports around the world.
Announcing the appointment, International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said: “An industry leader, Dr. Short’s many decades of experience in technology, innovation and public policy will ensure that cutting-edge scientific and technical know-how is firmly at the core of DIT’s work.”
Congratulating Dr Mike Short, Prof. Chris Speed, PETRAS academic from Edinburgh said: “Congratulations, it is great to have someone in such an important position who knows so very much about the emerging sectors that will change society in the coming years.”
All at PETRAS would like to congratulate Mike and we look forward to working with him as he moves forward in this role.