Jane Davies

Chief Executive Officer
Manchester Science Park

Jane Davies was appointed Chief Executive of Manchester Science Parks Ltd (msp) in October 2000.  She was Chairman of the UK Science Park Association from 2007 to 2009, has served two terms on the board of the International Association of Science Parks and was appointed President of its Advisory Council in 2009.  Jane has a degree in chemistry from St Anne’s College, Oxford and joined BP Chemicals as a PVC plant chemist on graduation.  She spent 18 years with BP in a range of roles including international oil trader in New York and regional manager of BP’s international aviation business, Air BP.  During her time with BP she also spent two years on secondment to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  On leaving BP, Jane ran the Buxton (Opera) Festival for four years.

Under her leadership, msp has expanded its operations to facilities on four sites in Greater Manchester, and has invested in people and processes to strengthen the links between its tenant companies and its university shareholders.  The science park and its tenants are seen as an important part of Manchester’s innovation system and msp works closely with the city’s investment agency, to attract overseas companies to set up their businesses in the city region.  

Jane is a director of the Corridor Partnership, which was formed in 2007 to realise the full potential of the area of Manchester adjacent to the universities, as a research intensive cluster of cultural and scientific activity, and chairman of the Manchester Innovation Group, a sub-group of the Greater Manchester LEP.

Jane’s services to innovation were recognised by the award of an OBE in the Queen’s 2010 Birthday Honours.