Enterprise Tuesday: Innovating for the earth: pioneering sustainable materials for tomorrow

Daniela has a MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences from University of Coimbra and completed her PhD in 2017 as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow at University of Warwick. She currently works at CDT, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical Company, as part of the Corporate Venturing and Innovation team.

She leads the UK team’s Life Science activities where she scouts and manages projects with start-ups.

Dr Yudi Ding is the CoFounder and CEO of PACT, a materials innovation startup engineering next-generation biomaterials for fashion and textile industry. He has more than 10 years of research and Innovation Experience in leading research Institutes and Companies.

He Holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge in Organic Chemistry and a Chemical Engineering degree from École Polytechnique, Paris. Prior to his PhD, he worked in manufacturing and R&D in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries with patents and research articles published in high-impact journals.

Alison Smith is Professor of Plant Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge. Her research is focused on the metabolism of plants, algae and bacteria. She has pioneered synthetic biology approaches to develop microalgae as production platforms for high value products, and is Director of the Algal Innovation Centre in Cambridge, a facility that allows pilot-scale testing of algal-based solutions to improve sustainability.

She has served as a Trustee or member of the steering boards for numerous organisations including the Marine Biological Association of the UK, Algae UK, EABA and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology.

Jonathan Bean is a physicist holding an MPhys and PhD he currently serves as the CEO of Materials Nexus. His expertise spans physics, computing, materials science, manufacturing, and biology, reflecting a rich academic and professional background.
During his four-year tenure at Cambridge’s Materials department, Jonathan played a pivotal role in conceiving and establishing the Materials Nexus technology.

This cutting-edge platform employs artificial intelligence to spearhead the development of ground-breaking materials, strategically addressing challenges in sustainability and supply chain management.
Jonathan’s entrepreneurial skills have been evidenced through successfully securing $4 million from investors, including top-tier funds like Ada Ventures, HTGF, and Cambridge Enterprise. At the helm of a diverse 15-member team spread across various functions and locations, Jonathan has fostered a collaborative, multi-disciplinary environment at Materials Nexus.

Beyond his corporate responsibilities, he serves as a key advisor for the Royal Academy of Engineering, offering valuable strategic insights and making a contribution to the growth and development of emerging leaders across diverse industries.

Jonathan’s influence extends into the venture capital landscape, where he serves as a venture scout for Positron Ventures. In this capacity, he actively seeks and evaluates potential investment opportunities, playing a crucial role in identifying promising companies for venture capital backing.