Dr. Venu Govind Kumar
Dr. Venu Kumar is a consultant specialising in economic regeneration and Business development. He provides advice on SME development and associated Innovation and Technology management. Through various national and international consultancies Dr. Venu Kumar provides his expertise to public sector organisations and private sector companies. Previously Dr. Venu Kumar held senior positions within international companies, DTI and Government Office for London where he was the Assistant Director for Industry. Currently he is retained as a Consultant by TSB (an executive agency for UK DIUS - Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills). Dr. Venu Kumar has extensive experience, acquired nationally and internationally, in regional economic development, business and trade development within key industrial sectors. Since 1997 Dr. Venu Kumar has conducted various high profile studies within UK and outside. Apart from providing advice and conducting studies he has evaluated key regeneration projects in the UK. Currently, following an Economic Impact study of Heathrow area by Deloitte, he is carrying out a strategy development exercise for Heathrow City Partnership, to enhance business investment in the area and achieve the wider goals of regeneration. He provides specialist support for public and private sector organisations involved in business and Trade Development. He has worked extensively with various public bodies in the UK and Europe, providing strategic consultancy support for SME development. He has worked on some key UK government and EC-funded SME support projects. Dr. Venu Kumar is an official evaluator for EC Framework programmes and he is on the EC list of consultants for the development of Regional Innovation and Technology Transfer Strategies. Dr. Venu Kumar specialises in innovation, technology management, technology exploitation issues and enterprise development in connection with economic regeneration of geographical regions. In these topic areas he provides consultancy support for developing strategies, delivery framework and support measures. His skills range from policy development to project delivery. Dr. Venu Kumar mainly focuses on industrial regeneration projects and associated policy and strategy development for SME support. He works overseas and, in connection with various projects, has undertaken assignments within EC countries, the United States, Japan, Australia, India, Uganda, Spain, Lithuania, and the Seychelles. His key delivery areas are: development of strategies and policies for SME and trade development in connection with economic regeneration of geographical areas development of policies and implementation mechanisms for innovation and technology exploitation and management development and implementation of ICT and e-business projects programmes and project development associated with these topics, especially funded through the UK Government and European programmes project implementation and delivery guidance development of policies and implementation of strategies for science parks, incubators and development of clusters evaluation and reviews for innovation and technology transfer and development projects business development and investment strategies. As a consultant, he has worked extensively with various public and private sector organisations to develop strategies, policies and projects, as well as delivering and evaluating projects. He acts as a consultant to various regeneration partnerships in the UK, the DTI, local authorities, Business Support Organisations and higher education institutions. He was also a consultant to London Manufacturing Group (previously LMG, now ‘Made in London’), the London manufacturers’ grouping that supports the implementation of policies and strategies, aided by the Government, to regenerate manufacturing in London. Dr. Venu Kumar acted as consultant to develop an innovation and technology transfer strategy for South London, with support from the EU. In 2001 he carried out a study of London’s Clothing Industry for the DTI and set out strategies to support that sector. As a direct result the London Fashion Forum was set up as a public - private sector partnership. He also completed a study of the food sector in Southall, London for the local regeneration partnership, mapping out a strategy for setting up of a Food Innovation and Knowledge Centre. In July 2002, on behalf of LDA and the Business Links for London, Dr. Venu Kumar developed a plan for setting up of a clothing cluster support and incubation centre in London (now known as London Apparel Resource Centre) with public and private sector funding. Prior to Lithuania joining the EC, he was responsible for developing their Innovation Strategy, with support from the EU Phare programme. He was responsible for developing an e-commerce strategy for Seychelles. In 2004 Dr. Venu Kumar carried out a feasibility study to establish a Technology Exploitation Initiative, which will bring together London’s universities and research establishments to enable them to support London-based companies, as well as spin out enterprises to commercialise the results of their research.