Paula Knee
Partner
Paula is an experienced leader of large-scale policy evaluations and studies specialising in R&D, technology and innovation policy and its role in economic growth and well-being. She has broad experience of research and innovation systems, having worked in the R&D sector, government and consultancy for 35+ years. She has extensive experience designing and implementing high quality evaluation projects and studies that meet clients’ needs.
Paula’s work in recent years has focused on R&D and innovation in critical technologies such as space, quantum and nuclear and in mathematical science and geoscience. She also leads studies to assess the performance of research systems and research infrastructures and evaluations of programmes supporting scientific research, innovation and capacity building in developing countries. She works regularly for clients in the UK Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, UK Research and Innovation and Department of Energy Security and Net Zero as well as for UNESCO and the World Bank.
Prior to joining Technopolis Paula held a number of roles in R&D and innovation. She led the in-house evaluation and impact team for national and European metrology institutes, contributed to the UK Industrial Strategy, provided mentoring to technology start-ups and conducted applied R&D in a public laboratory and a Silicon Valley start-up. She has Master’s degrees in Physics and in Technology and Innovation Management from Imperial College and the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex.
