Professional summary

Research Interests

I’m responsible for the commercialisation of research from the NERC sciences to industry: winning funding, project evaluation, innovation pipeline, prototyping, spin-out management and collaborations with SMEs, licensing of intellectual property, patent management and trademarking. 

Selected publications:

Corker NR., Willoughby P. (2013) editorial to Engineering Sustainability  Journal  (ICE) themed edition ‘Participatory Planning ’, May 2013

Corker NR., & Scott C. (2012) Offsetting for Biodiversity, BRE Information Paper IP 10/12

Corker NR. (2011) Garrett Hardin’s The Tragedy of the Commons, Engineering Sustainability Journal, Institute of Civil Enginers, Invited seminal paper review for the ICE: June 2011

Brief CV

Skills & Experience

Innovation leadership and management, knowledge exchange (qualified lecturer) and technology transfer, commercialization, project management, negotiation and brokering:

  • CEH partnership manager to the Centre for Global Eco-innovation at the University of Lancaster  (from 2015);
  • Board member of Oxford Expressions Technology a NERC spin-out company (from 2011);
  • Convener: British Water innovation focus group (from 2014);
  • Chair of activities in the green economy working group for the Partnership for European Environmental Research (2014).

I have more than 25 years’ experience of many aspects of sustainable development work in the private, public and voluntary sectors:

  • Innovation Manager, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (12/15 to present)
  • Commercialisation Manager, Natural Environment Research Council (7/2011-12/15)
  • Principal Consultant, Sustainable Development: Building Research Establishment (4/2006- 7/2011)
  • Business Innovation Manager, Innovation in Crops (InCrops): University of East Anglia (secondment from BRE 3/2009 – 3/2010),
  • Natural Environment Team Leader: Northamptonshire County Council (secondment from Northamptonshire Borough Council (3/2005-4/2006)
  • Sustainable Development Co-ordinator: Northampton Borough Council (1/2001-3/2005)
  • Curriculum Manager: Northamptonshire College of Agriculture (2000-2001),
  • Environmental Co-ordinator and Senior Lecturer: Derbyshire College of Agriculture (1992-2000)
  • Practical Conservation: Director of an SME undertaking nature conservation work in North Wales (1989-1992)
  • Field Supervisor, Nature Conservation: British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (1986-1988)

See my full CV for more details

Journals

Editorial panel member: Engineering Sustainability Journal: Institute of Civil Engineers (2007-2011)

 

Qualifications

Academic

MSc. (Wales) Rural Resource Management (1989-1991)

Post Grad. Cert.: Sustainable Business Management, University of Cambridge (2014)

Post Grad. Cert.: Architectural History, University of Oxford (2011)

Post Grad. Cert.: Environmental Impact Assessment, Oxford Brookes (2006)

BSc. Environmental Studies, CNAA & Kutztown University USA  (1983-1986)

Professional

Chartered Environmentalist (Institute of Agricultural Engineers)

Certificate of Education, (FE): Agricultural Education Training Unit, Wolverhampton Polytechnic (1988-1989)

Technical

BREEAM Eco Homes assessor training (2006/2011)

BRE Life Cycle Accounting & Environmental Profiles, Green Book assessor training (2006/2011)

Panels, committees and memberships

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts Manufacture & Commerce 

Honorary Research Associate: School of Civil Engineering, University of Birmingham (2007-2012) renewed (2012), for work on the Defra Making Space for Water project in 2007.

Member of the Institute of Agricultural Engineers