Rob Saunders is challenge director for UKRI’s ‘Prospering from the Energy Revolution’ programme, funded through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.  Over its four years, this aims to demonstrate the future business models and local approaches that will put energy users and consumers at the heart of a cleaner, cheaper, and more resilient energy system.

An engineer by training, Rob ran major innovation programmes in the food and packaging industries before retraining with an energy masters, joining Innovate UK in 2011 as lead for offshore renewables.

Prior to his current role, Rob led the energy sector team at Innovate UK, which helped hundreds of UK businesses to grow through clean energy innovation, helped launch the energy catalyst programme and set up two energy-focussed catapult centres; Offshore Renewable Energy in Glasgow & Blyth, and Energy Systems in Birmingham.