Kirk Malone - Chief Executive Officer

Kirk is passionate about innovation and collaborative R&D having spent his career in interdisciplinary science, and business development, at the interface of academia and industry.

Kirk joined Britest in May 2023 after a brief secondment from the University of Manchester where he was Director of Commercialisation of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and the national EPSRC / BBSRC Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub. Kirk has a PhD in organic chemistry, and extensive experience in interdisciplinary science, project management, and business development at the interface of academia and industry, across multiple sectors.

Kirk works with our member organisations, and engages more broadly with companies and academia, to apply Britest’s innovation to develop safer, more productive, and sustainable processes.

The majority of his spare time is devoted to high maintenance cars and equally high maintenance children's and youth-level football teams: touchline dad, team coach, club chairman, head groundsman, you name it, Kirk is it.