Mark Crowell, an academic innovation and business development expert whose work has helped launch over 135 startups, has been appointed vice-president of innovation and economic development at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia has appointed Mark Crowell, a specialist in academic innovation and business development, as its vice-president of innovation and economic development.

From 2010 to 2014 Crowell was Virginia University’s founding executive director of UVa Innovation. UVa Innovation works to gain investment from university partners for discoveries that have taken place at the university.

He has also consulted for organisations including the World Bank, the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Arkansas…