Chair appointed to Matrix panel
Date published:
The Department for the Economy has appointed Robert Hill as the new Chair of the Matrix panel.
Matrix is an industry-led panel set up to advise government and inform academia and industry on the commercial exploitation of research and development, and science and technology in Northern Ireland.
The panel is a collaborative endeavour which brings together key stakeholders from industry, academia, and government, with the aim to champion the role of science and technology as one of the key drivers of economic growth in Northern Ireland.
Notes to editors:
- Robert Hill is the Chair of the Northern Ireland Space Leadership Council and the Northern Ireland Space Special Interest Group (NISSIG) hosted by ADS. Robert holds the position of NI Space Cluster Manager, supported by the UK Space Agency. He is Space Advisor to FD Technologies plc, leading on the Kx for Space program and Trade Advisory Services Space lead for InvestNI, helping companies to navigate the space ecosystem.
- He has acted as regional lead on behalf of the UK Space Agency to develop the Space for Smarter Government Program (SSGP) in the region and is a Regional Fellow with the UK Satellite Applications Catapult at Harwell. Robert is proud to be an Ambassador for Visit Belfast and helped to bring the UK Space Conference to Northern Ireland for the first time in November 2023.
- The Matrix Chair appointment is for an initial term of up to five years which may be extended for a further defined period by agreement. The maximum total term of appointment is 10 years.
- The appointment process followed the principles of the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, Northern Ireland (CPANI).
- Matrix produces regular, in-depth reports which outline the work, findings, and evidence-based recommendations of specialist panels. Matrix output is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in how new technologies and market opportunities can be developed within the Northern Ireland economy and beyond. More information on the Matrix panel is available at www.matrixni.org
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