David Smith BSc PhD CPhys FIET

Dave Smith is the Head of PA Technology Group He has been the Managing Director of one of the UK's premier R&D companies and now leads one of the top Cambridge R&D companies. He has extensive experience and achievements in electronics and communications, primarily in Defence and Healthcare domains. In his current role Dave advises global companies on Innovation culture and R&D strategy. Previously Dave sat on the Global Corporate Technology Group of Siemens AG – the largest European engineering company. He has also been the invited industrial speaker at the MoD Defence Equipment and Support annual conference.

Dave is an experienced manager of high technology organisations. He is a physicist by training who has worked in academia, in government research laboratories, in industry as an engineer and for 5 years was Managing Director of Roke Manor Research employing 400 highly skilled engineers. He has contributed strongly in the following fields: semiconductor physics, radio engineering, accelerated stress testing, encapsulated electronics, civil cellular communications and medical imaging,

Under Dave’s leadership Roke was awarded the Queens Award for Innovation, multiple other awards for engineering and also as Best Employer.

Prior to joining Roke, Dave worked for DERA as a Project Manager running applied R&D programmes, providing urgent operational support to military units and leading teams providing technical support to MoD for major procurements (~£100m).  He began his Post Doctoral career as an academic semiconductor physicist, before moving to a Business Development role in which he developed training and technology transfer in the UK and the Far East.