New appointment for Nexus Engagement Team

Nexus has strengthened its engagement team with the appointment of a new relationship officer who will work with the growing community of Yorkshire entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs.

Dennis Dokter, a Maastricht University graduate, has worked in the research and funding landscape for the past four years. He joins Nexus from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), where he worked as Grant Development Manager, advising on how to use new data science methods and AI on existing and new data sources across multiple sectors.

Adding to the existing team responsible for facilitating productive working partnerships and collaborations across the University of Leeds and wider Leeds innovation ecosystem, Dennis will work alongside Dr Harrison Evans, Nexus’ Collaboration Manager.

His role will see him providing Nexus members with seamless access to the academic expertise, talent and facilities across the University. He will work closely with members to understand their business needs and connect them to the right partners, both within the University and externally within the wider Leeds City Region.

Dennis Dokter says: “I’m incredibly passionate about research and innovation so it’s very exciting to be joining a team that plays such an active role in supporting emerging businesses. Nexus sits at the heart of where research meets practice, and I’m really looking forward to supporting on cutting-edge cross-discipline projects, connecting members with the renowned world-class expertise at the University of Leeds.”

Dr Harrison Evans adds: “Dennis is a perfect fit for the Nexus team and his expertise aligns really well with our ambitions. He has spent much of his career to date advising on research strategy and funding, and has made many connections between private companies and academics to nurture research and development (R&D). His interdisciplinary research experience has seen him involved in energy, health, AI and data science, which will be invaluable for our community, with many of our members working in these fields. We’re delighted to welcome Dennis to the team.”