Bristol-based enterprise hub Engine Shed has appointed a new director. Mike Paton has been working as the general manager of the University of Bristol-owned venue since 2021, overseeing operations and finance.
He has taken over from Marty Reid, who has joined tech support organisation SETsquared as an interim executive director. Mr Reid has been responsible for leading Engine Shed and SETsquared Bristol - its tech incubator partner - since January 2020.
Mr Paton said: “I have loved my time as general manager at Engine Shed, working with so many fantastic colleagues, residents, partners and start-ups. Engine Shed is celebrating its tenth anniversary this December and it’s incredible to see what’s been achieved in that time."
Mr Paton is also the programme manager for the Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre (QTIC) - the University of Bristol's quantum innovation hub, which launched in 2017 with a £35m investment by local government. Before joining Engine Shed and QTIC, he worked at Rolls-Royce in roles including materials engineering, service innovation and programme management, based in the UK, Singapore and Germany. He has lived in Bristol for the past seven years.
He added: “I’m excited to be at its helm as we define the next chapter and develop a number of new initiatives to enhance membership and innovation services, including skills and training for businesses and academia.”
Engine Shed, which is based in the listed Brunel building next to Temple Meads station, is an event, office and co-working hub that creates income from hiring space to seed projects and partnerships.
Mustafa Rampuri, director of enterprise services at the University of Bristol, said: “Mike’s experience in industry and academia, along with his commitment to diversity and inclusion and sustainability, ideally places him to lead Engine Shed, which is a beacon for the university’s innovation and civic engagement work."
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