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New Chair announced for the IP-City Network

The IP-City Network has gone from strength to strength over the last 18 months. Working in close partnership with BT, the Network has successfully hosted two major events at Adastral Park, complemented by two intermediate events, hosted at the IP-City Centre. These have so far engaged with around 300 local and regional companies interested in being part of this progressive business-to-business network for the greater Suffolk and Haven Gateway area.
Julian Harris, Chair of the IP-City Network, led the review of IP-City and the Cambridge 2 Ipswich Hi-Tech Corridor, which resulted in the new partnership with BT and the creation of the IP-City Network. Julian, who has been Chair of the Network since 2005, recently appeared as guest speaker at the fourth IP-City Network event, Building & exiting hi-tech businesses.... lessons from the front line. He took this opportunity to announce that he is to hand over Chairmanship of the IP-City Network to Dr Richard Nicol at the end of this year.

Involved in IP-City since its inception in 2000, Richard continued his participation over the following years sitting on the C2I steering group and supporting events and activities. He is looking forward to his new role as chair of the revitalised Network and is eager to push forward with further opportunities to connect companies in Suffolk and the surrounding area.

Richard spent most of his career in BT as Head of Research before leaving the company in 2001. More recently he spent 3 years as the Director of the Cambridge–MIT Institute based at Adastral Park in Ipswich and continues to be a consultant to various bodies on R&D strategy. In addition to this he is currently the Chairman of the Digital Communications Knowledge Transfer Network, a national initiative aimed at facilitating knowledge exchange on emerging digital communications technologies.

Richard is a Member of the University Council and Visiting Professor at the University of Essex, Vice-Chairman of Suffolk New College Corporation, a Director of the Suffolk Development Agency Board and the Suffolk Learning and Skills Council. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.