Simon Andrews helped to establish the UK's first Fraunhofer centre, the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics (CAP), and has been executive director since 2014 at Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd, which provides professional R&D services to the photonics industry while maintaining close ties to cutting-edge research in the university sector.
Andrews has enjoyed a variety of roles in industry from design, development and production engineering through to operations and engineering management.
He has managed the development of products from concept to market, with a variety of start-up, spin-out and established companies. Working primarily in the medical device industry, from heart valves to medical lasers, he has also had experience in developing products for telecommunications and defence industry customers.
Andrews is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institute of Physics, and a non-executive director of Technology Scotland Ltd and Photonics Leadership Ltd as well as sitting on other advisory boards, including Photonics Scotland and the Royal Society SIT Committee.
Organisation: Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd
Role: Executive director
Based in: Glasgow, UK
Education: BSc Hons in Laser Physics and Optoelectronics, University of Strathclyde