A technology entrepreneur is set to become the head of the government’s £1.1 billion a year innovation funding agency, Innovate UK, ahead of potential cuts to its budget.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said Tom Adeyoola is its preferred choice to replace Indro Mukerjee, who left last September, in the £195,000-a-year role.
Adeyoola’s selection comes at a crucial time for the agency, which supports the research and development efforts of 450,000 organisations a year. Its budget increased significantly under the last government but it faces scrutiny as part of the government’s spending review. It has already placed one of its grant schemes on hold.
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Adeyoola, 47, worked at the mobile operator Three
