
Dr. Susanne Coles, Director, Innovate UK
Dr. Susanne Coles is a senior leader at Innovate UK, the UK’s Innovation Agency, where she serves as Deputy Director for the Innovation Finance.
About Dr. Susanne Coles, Director, Innovate UK
About Dr. Susanne Coles, Director, Innovate UK
Dr. Susanne Coles is a senior leader at Innovate UK, the UK’s Innovation Agency, where she serves as Deputy Director for the Innovation Finance Ecosystem and Director of Innovate UK Loans Ltd. As public servant, Susanne leads the development of funding solutions designed to help innovative businesses thrive, from concept and start-up to commercialisation, scale, and growth. With over 15 years of experience spanning academia, the private sector, and public service, Susanne brings a versatile skill set and a passion for supporting transformative innovation and real-world impact. Susanne is an advocate for diversity and inclusion, and is committed to empowering underrepresented innovators and fostering equitable access to opportunities. Approachable and solutions-focused, she applies a thoughtful yet practical approach to addressing complex challenges in today’s world. Having been born into the then GDR and experienced the toppling of the wall and the political regime, Susanne is a firm believer in the power of people to affect positive change reflected in her motto “dare to imagine the impossible”.