Share:
Dr O’Brien will take over as Chief Executive in September 2021.
Dr Diarmuid O'Brien, CE designate, Cambridge Enterprise
Dr O’Brien is to take over one of the world’s most successful university centres for technology transfer from outgoing Chief Executive Dr Tony Raven. Dr Raven has grown Cambridge Enterprise into an innovation powerhouse with a portfolio of spin-out companies that has raised billions in follow-on funding and helped power the UK’s thriving innovation economy.
Dr O’Brien comes to Cambridge Enterprise from his role as Chief Innovation & Enterprise Officer at Trinity College Dublin, where he has had overall responsibility for the development and enhancement of the college’s innovation and enterprise strategy. In particular, he led the establishment of a new innovation campus—Trinity East—and the creation of the Grand Canal Innovation District.
Prior to this, Dr O’Brien was Director of Trinity Research and Innovation with responsibility for both the Research Development Office and the Office of Corporate Partnership and Knowledge Exchange. In that role he led the establishment of the University Bridge venture fund, which is ranked in the world’s top five collaborative university funds, according to Global University Venturing.
While at Trinity, Dr O’Brien was also the Executive Director of CRANN, an internationally recognised centre of excellence for nanotechnology and materials science research.
He has held senior management roles in several university-founded start-up companies, including NTera, Xoliox, and Deerac Fluidics.
Dr O’Brien was a Research Fellow at Princeton University. He has a PhD in Physics from the University of Sheffield and a degree in Materials Science from Trinity College Dublin.
The University of Cambridge established Cambridge Enterprise in 2006 to support its academics, researchers, staff, and students in licensing their inventions, facilitating their work as external consultants, and spinning out companies based on University intellectual property. Cambridge Enterprise has invested £29.8 million in 139 companies since its inception. Its portfolio companies have cumulatively raised £2 billion in follow on funding. Over the past 15 years, Cambridge Enterprise has provided £178 million to the University.
Make a media enquiry
If you are a journalist with a media enquiry, please contact our Press and Media Manager.