Beth Sowersby

Working within the Research and Innovation Service, my role involves supporting and facilitating collaborations with external partners and organisations in the areas of Creative, Digital and Heritage. My role is aligned with the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and the School of Computing Sciences. I support businesses and organisations on their innovation and growth journeys, by accessing academic talent through consultancy, contract/collaborative research, training or graduate and student talent. My role involves finding routes for collaborations and partnership building which can include identifying and supporting funding opportunities. I aim to facilitate knowledge exchange opportunities, supporting academics in developing real world impact for their research.

I moved into this role in January 2024 from a role as Innovation Advisor on Creative East, a DCMS funded investment readiness programme developed for creative industries businesses. Before this, I have held different roles working at the intersection of industry and academia, having worked as Knowledge Exchange Fellow on the EIRA project at UEA, as Business Development Manager at University of Suffolk and Business Innovation Manager at Norwich University of the Arts. All roles which specialised in the areas of creative, digital, sustainability, culture and heritage. 

Before moving into High Education, I worked in the broadcast industry for many years as a TV producer in factual and entertainment for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky as well as numerous independant companies. I am a passionate supporter of innovation in the creative industries. 

Outside of UEA I sit on the board of trustees for Norwich Film Festival.