Dr Erik Thomasson

Dr Erik Thomasson

Profile

As Research and Innovation Development Manager based in the Institute for Transport Studies I am responsible for building and managing relationships and for developing effective mechanisms to harness the University of Leeds’ world-leading intellectual capacity in the transport-systems field to deliver real social and economic benefits.

My role is to consolidate transport-related research excellence from across the University and deliver a coordinated ‘offer’ to potential external customers and partners in order to promote essential business links. I am one of a network of R&IDMs managed under the University’s Research and Innovation Service, which aims to drive research income generation and academic impact by leveraging academic expertise.

On a practical level, this involves a range of activities including: 

  • Developing bespoke University/industry partnerships that respond to grand research and innovation challenges identified by the UK and EC
  • Identifying external research funding opportunities and consortium building with academics and external partners
  • Developing collaborative research opportunities with partners
  • Setting up two-way knowledge transfer activities and secondments
  • Identifying opportunities for industry to fund and sponsor cohorts of PhD students confronting challenges directly relevant to industrial employers
  • Raising awareness of, and enabling access to, the University's state-of-the-art research facilities.

Employment History: 

  • Research and Innovation Development Manager, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds (August 2015 to date)
  • Business Development Manager, Transport Systems Hub, University of Leeds (March 2012 - August 2015)
  • Research and Development Manager (Bradford Observatory), City of Bradford MDC (May 2009-February 2012)
  • Head of Service, Research and Consultation, City of Bradford MDC (May 2005-May 2009)
  • Geographical Information Systems Manager, City of Bradford MDC (December 1998-May 2005)

Qualifications

  • PhD Logistics (University of Huddersfield, 1993)
  • MSc Transport Planning and Engineering (University of Leeds, 1988)
  • BSc (Hons) Human Ecology (Huddersfield Polytechnic, 1986).