To ensure a smooth transition, Martin Garratt will continue to work for Cambridge Cleantech as an Executive Advisor for a further 12 months until April 2024. In this role, Martin will provide advice and guidance, enabling the new team to benefit from his experience and expertise built up over the last 12 years since the formation of Cambridge Cleantech, helping to ensure a 'business as usual' transition for the members of Cambridge Cleantech.
Sam Goodall will be supported and work alongside Sylvie Russell, currently the Head of Operations, who will become Chief Operating Officer. The rest of the Cambridge Cleantech team remains unchanged and will continue to undertake their support activities, from cleantech-focused events to programme management and from member support to government liaison.
Commenting on the transition, Martin Garratt said, "As the Founder and original Chief Executive of Cambridge Cleantech, I am proud of the achievements the team has accomplished over the last 12 years in creating the UK's premier cleantech sector network, from organizing over 200 events with 8,000 attendees to instigating 20 pilot contracts and £20m of investment by introducing corporates to innovative cleantech start-ups and by influencing government with our cleantech manifesto launch."
“We have grown the network from our base in Cambridge to launch Oxfordshire Greentech and will shortly open an office in Rotterdam to strengthen our European network of cleantech cluster partners from the Nordics to Israel.”
During Martin’s tenure other notable achievements from Cambridge Cleantech include:
- CLEANTECH VENTURE DAY - a series of events that connect innovators, investors, large enterprises and economic development partners to see next generation climate tech solutions, which has seen 220+ start-ups pitch and £520m raised in secure investments.
- Desafia London – awarded the UK’s first immersion programme to help Spanish tech start-ups to accelerate growth and expand internationally. Desafia has rolled out successful immersion programmes in San Francisco, Berlin and Tel Aviv that have so far raised more than £185m in funding and created over 3000 jobs.
- International Tech Scouting Programme – a market intelligence programme that identifies technologies that support collaborations between global enterprises and climate tech innovators.
- Cleantech Innovation Exchange – multiple programmes facilitating knowledge transfer and collaboration between cleantech super clusters across the UK, EMEA, Asia, North America, and LATAM.
Sam Goodall added: "I'm delighted to be stepping into the Chief Executive role at Cambridge Cleantech at this important and exciting time for climate tech innovation for the UK and globally. Over the last 12 years under Martin's stewardship, Cambridge Cleantech has grown from a regional innovation network into one that works across both micro and major tech clusters across the UK, Europe, and increasingly, the rest of the world."
“At a time when climate tech innovation is more urgent than ever, I’m very much looking forward to having the opportunity to lead Cambridge Cleantech into this next exciting phase of development, through initiatives such as the development of the World’s first Climate Tech Supercluster across London, Oxford and Cambridge, our joint programme with Hydrogen East to develop a hydrogen cluster in the region and to growing our Cleantech Venture Day into the UK’s leading climate tech investment event”.
The Cambridge Cleantech Board carefully reviewed the options for the transition and concluded that promotion from within the existing team provided both the most stable transition for the membership and the greatest opportunity to develop and expand the Cambridge Cleantech network.
Alison Cavey, Chair of Cambridge Cleantech, said: "At a time of such importance for the cleantech sector in helping to address the climate crisis, the Cambridge Cleantech Board wanted to ensure a smooth and optimal leadership transition for the members of the network."
“As the Founder and original Chief Executive, Martin has done a terrific job in setting firm foundations for the network to prosper, from broadening the income base to include membership, public programme management, events and consultancy work, to growing the breadth of membership and to developing and expanding the team."
Image: Sam Goodall (left), Martin Garratt (right)
