Innovation & Commercialisation Experts Platform

Experts Who Speak Both Science and Industry

Access expertise across every stage of innovation, new product development and commercialisation.

Bio-innovation often requires expertise across multiple disciplines, yet siloed working and gaps in specialist knowledge can create challenges throughout new product development.

The ClearGate Experts Network connects researchers, startups, spin-outs, scale-ups and industry teams with experienced specialists who understand both science and the realities of bringing new products to market.

Our experts bring hands-on experience across R&D, product development, regulatory affairs, intellectual property, scale-up, business strategy and commercialisation — providing relevant expertise when and where it is needed to address challenges, manage risk and accelerate progress.

Featured Experts:

Dr Jolanta Beinaroviča

Business Case development for Bio-Innovation

Dr Jolanta Beinaroviča has deep expertise in life sciences, industrial biotechnology, and emerging technologies. She works at the interface of science and commercial strategy, supporting clients across industry and the public sector to make informed decisions about technology development, market positioning, and innovation investment.

Expertise: Techno-economic Feasibility studies | Business case development for Bio-Innovation Projects| Strategy

Dr Adam M. Adamek

Innovation Translation and Strategy for FoodTech

Dr Adam M. Adamek is an innovation strategist and New Product Development (NPD) expert with over 25 years of experience turning food science into successful products. He has held senior innovation roles at Danone, Mondelēz, Mars, and EIT Food, Europe’s largest food innovation community. As CEO of impact.brussels he helps organisations build evidence-based products and turn European resilience innovation into real world impact. Author of books “FoodTech After the Hype” and “Proof before Hype”

Antonio Iannone

Startup Growth Support, Academia-Industry Collaborations

Antonio Iannone is an AgriFood innovation strategist and entrepreneurship expert with extensive experience supporting startups, SMEs, and innovation ecosystems. Founder of TheFoodCons and Co-founder of the Agrifood-Tech Italia Association, he helps innovators accelerate growth through strategic positioning, fundraising, and industry collaboration. As Professor of AgriFood-Tech at ESCP Business School, Antonio combines academic insight with entrepreneurial experience.

Dr Valerie Schuster

Innovation Strategy & Startup Growth Support

Dr Valerie Schuster brings extensive experience in strategy, innovation and business development, with a particular focus on agrifood and startups.

Her career spans Boston Consulting Group (BCG), strategy leadership at AB Agri, entrepreneurship, advisory work with EIT Food, and roles on numerous advisory boards. Having worked across corporate, consulting and startup environments, Valerie understands both the commercial realities of bringing new ideas to market and the challenges innovators face along the way.

Dr Robin McIntyre

Research & Innovation Funding Expert

Dr Robin McIntyre is an experienced innovation strategist with over 20 years of expertise in European R&D funding, consortium development, and technology commercialisation. Having secured more than €130 million in competitive public funding, he helps businesses, research organisations, and public-sector bodies access funding, build strategic partnerships, and translate ambitious research into commercially viable products and sustainable industrial solutions.

Dr Amy Cochrane

R&D: Cultivated Meat & Cellular Agriculture Innovation

Dr. Amy Cochrane is a cultivated meat and biotechnology expert with a PhD in Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering and over 10 years of experience across academia and industry. Most recently, she held a senior R&D role at Meatable, leading projects spanning cell biology, tissue engineering, bioprocess development, scale-up, product development, and scientific strategy. Through biofás, she now supports startups and scale-ups

Dr Sandra Einerhand

Gut Health & Functional Ingredients Development

Dr. Sandra Einerhand is a nutrition expert with over 25 years of experience across academia, consultancy, and industry. She has held leadership positions at Danone Nutricia Research, Tate & Lyle, and Lipid Nutrition, and previously served as an Associate/Assistant Professor at academic hospitals in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Through Einerhand Science & Innovation, she supports organisations in transforming scientific evidence into successful health and nutrition innovations.

Dr Lucy Waldron

Animal Nutrition, Pet and Farm animals expert

Dr Lucy Waldron is an animal nutrition expert with over 25 years of international experience in animal feed, nutrition, product development, and regulatory affairs. As Director of LWT Animal Nutrition Ltd, she helps businesses develop innovative, evidence-based products and bring them successfully to global markets. Lucy is Editor-in-Chief of two scientific journals, with extensive expertise in pig, poultry, ruminant, equine, and companion animal nutrition, as well as feed ingredients, nutraceuticals, and sustainable livestock production.

Dr Nathalie Berezina

Industrial Biotechnology, Deep-Tech Venture Building, IP Strategy

Dr Nathalie Berezina is a scientist, entrepreneur, and innovation leader with over 20 years of experience in industrial biotechnology, alternative proteins, and the circular bioeconomy. Having founded and scaled deep-tech ventures across Europe. Her expertise spans science-to-market translation, intellectual property strategy, investment readiness, bioprocess scale-up, and innovation funding. Nathalie has worked with leading accelerator programmes, including ESA BIC, EIT Food Accelerator Network (EIT FAN), and EIT New European Bauhaus (EIT NEB), supporting founders in building and growing impactful deep-tech ventures.

Dr David Lafond

FoodTech, Functional Ingredients, New Product Development, and Commercialisation

David Lafond, PhD, MBA, brings over 45 years of experience in food research, product development and innovation, including senior R&D and technology scouting roles at Kellogg Company, Kraft, Quaker Oats and Keebler.

He currently serves as CTO at Healthy Ingredient Solutions (HISCO), supporting the development and commercialisation of novel functional ingredients and technologies across North America and Europe. His work focuses on identifying and validating innovation opportunities, developing strategic partnerships, licensing technologies and accelerating new product development.

Dr Anil Sebastian

Biologics Development, Process Development and Scale-Up, Cell Culture Media

A biologics R&D and process development specialist with over 15 years in mammalian cell culture, including 10 years in industry and more than 25 biologics programmes. Anil has held senior leadership roles at Ivy Farm Technologies (cultivated meat), a UK stealth-mode biotech, Accord Healthcare and Lonza Biologics, spanning cell line development, cell culture media optimisation and cost reduction, upstream process development and scale-up. He has established process development teams and laboratories, and led cell line development strategy, technology transfer, CMC strategy and technical due diligence. Anil is Founder & Principal Consultant of Z2 Biopharma Solutions Limited, and a member of the BIA and ESACT-UK.

Dr Chris Bryant

Market and Consumer Insights for Alternative Proteins

Dr. Chris Bryant is an expert on the protein transition, specialising in alternative proteins, plant-based foods, cultivated meat, and meat alternatives. Founder and Director of Bryant Research. His work focuses on understanding the factors that drive the adoption of sustainable protein solutions through quantitative and qualitative research, surveys, polling, focus groups, and modelling.

Laura Curtis

Marketing and Communications for Innovators

Laura Curtis is a marketing and communications strategist with over 20 years of experience supporting startups, scale-ups and innovation-driven organisations. She helps companies develop clear positioning, compelling messaging and effective go-to-market strategies that translate complex science into commercial value. Her experience spans biotechnology, foodtech and agritech, working with organisations including EIT Food, Amcor and Fabrick Marketing. Laura is also the founder of Startup Marketing Clinic and H&C Elevate.

Sam Jennings

Regulatory support for Innovators

Sam Jennings is a regulatory expert and Director at Berry Ottaway & Associates Ltd, helping businesses, researchers, and innovators navigate regulatory requirements and develop compliant products. With more than 25 years of experience in food technical and regulatory affairs, Sam supports industry, government, and international organisations on food supplement-related issues.