Dr Taylor is an entrepreneurial leader with 25 years of experience in innovation, commercialisation and deal making across academia, industry and the public sector, particularly in the life sciences and deeptech sectors.

Andrea is CEO of Edinburgh Innovations (EI), the commercialisation service of the University of Edinburgh. She has worked at EI for 7 years during which time EI has helped the University grow its industrial and translational income from £10m to over £90m and double company launches to 123. Last year alone the University created 115 student startups, 4 staff startups and 4 staff spinouts. During the same year, University associated companies secured a total investment of £107.6m.

Dr Taylor has secured multimillion pound seed investment from first time investors leading to the creation of several spin outs. She has led numerous commercial and licence deals contributing to the University of Edinburgh rising from 15th to one of the top 5 UK universities for business engagement (HESA HE-BCI Survey).

Andrea has a track record of delivering large multidisciplinary strategic partnerships with industry including establishing beLAB1407, a E20 partnership with Evotec and Bristol Myers Squibb to accelerate early stage drug discovery. Andrea also played a pivotal role in the creation of Neurii; a multi partner deal with Gates Ventures, Eisai, HDRUK and LifeArc) to develop digital products for neurodegenerative disorders.

Edinburgh Innovations

Edinburgh Innovations is the University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service. We lead the University’s activities in industry engagement and business development, enterprise support for students and staff, and the identification, management and commercialisation of University intellectual property.

With focus on the University innovation missions of Data, Digital and AI, Future Health and Care and Climate and Environment, EI is developing significant international partnerships to cement the impact of the University of Edinburgh’s world class research.

Early career

Following a PhD in genetics at the MRC Centre for Human Genetics at Edinburgh University, and several post docs in the area of cancer research (including with Cancer Research UK in Oxford) Andrea worked within the drug discovery industry both in Pharma (Smith Kline Beecham now GSK) and Biotech (Oxford Glycosciences, latterly UCB).

Dr Taylor has worked in senior consultancy positions with companies in Oxford and Cambridge providing deal making advice, market forecasting and due diligence to a wide range of healthcare companies from SMEs to global industry players and venture capital investors.

Before, joining Edinburgh Innovations at the start of 2017, Andrea spent 6 years with Scotland’s Economic Development Agency Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International working with CEOs to support company growth and attracting inward investment.