Simon Coward is the Director at the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub in Ulster University.
Simon brings a wealth of experience and nearly 30 years of insights in manufacturing to the role of Director of the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub (SMDH). As a graduate Chemical Engineer, Simon worked in the oil/gas, chemicals and nuclear industries in the UK and Italy, and following further training (at Cranfield University) set up and grew manufacturing businesses supplying the construction, FMCG and automotive sectors.

Moving from the private sector to local government, Simon led the growth of engineering and manufacturing clusters in East Anglia – including building incubation and growth in space, creating sector networks and local manufacturing groups, and developing business support programmes.