Annual David Goldman Visiting Professor of Business Innovation Lecture 2010
Annual David Goldman Lecture by Will Dracup David Goldman Visiting Professor of Business Innovation
The 2010 David Goldman Visiting Professor of Business Innovation is, Will Dracup, Chairman of Nonlinear Dynamics and Biosignatures Ltd.
Will took over from Dr Tony Trapp, Chairman of IHC Engineering Business, who has contributed massively to the work of the School during his term of office.
On March 4th 2010 Will gave his inaugural speech entitled ‘Impact’. Will presented the ideas and science behind the companies he founded, Nonlinear Dynamics and Biosignatures and expanded on how you can take a great idea and turn it into a successful business.
View the video of Will's speech here....
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Will founded and is Chairman of Nonlinear Dynamics. An Economics graduate and software engineer, he became interested in the analysis of protein separations after working for a Life Science imaging company. Deciding that the available technology was inadequate, he founded Nonlinear in 1989, going on to develop software that has since become the industry standard in its field.
Nonlinear Dynamics is now a multi-million pound company, employing many high quality people. It has supplied software solutions to over 8,500 users worldwide, selling direct and through a responsive global distribution network. Customers include all of the top 20 pharmaceutical organisations, high-profile research centres, biotechnology companies and leading academic institutions throughout the world. Since its inception, Nonlinear has won many awards, including the North East Top Technology Company of the Year and the North East Export Award.
Biosignatures Ltd, where Will also holds the position of chairman, was created in June 2009 as a spin-out from Nonlinear and received its first venture funding in October 2008. Biosignatures uses technology developed in Nonlinear and protein separation technologies to find diagnostics for diseases such as cancer.
In 2004, Will was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Immunodiagnostic Systems (IDS), stepping down late 2009 as IDS and Biosignatures were embarking on a commercial relationship.
In November 2009, Will received the North East Executive of the Year award for Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, and in 2010 he was invited onto the committee designing the billion Euro Human Proteome Project – a huge endorsement of the ideas behind Biosignatures.
In 2003 the Goldman family made an endowment to Newcastle University Business School to commemorate the life and work of David Goldman, founder and Chief Executive of the North East’s iconic software company, the Sage Group plc. David had played a leading role in transforming the economic fortunes of the North East region.
The Goldman Endowment has enabled the School to establish two positions, both designed to stimulate entrepreneurship and foster innovation within the North East of England.
To find out more please use the David Goldman link
Published: 1st October 2009
