Author

Ian Short recently returned to NZ after spending the last 12 years on innovation in sustainable/ smart cities, urban development and climate change in Europe and before this 15 years in finance in London, New York and Wellington. He is currently working as a senior advisor to a broad range of organisations in these areas, including helping the NZ govt develop plans for the transition to a low emissions economy. Until January 2017 Ian was CEO of Climate-KIC, the world’s largest climate change innovation partnership. Primarily funded by the European Commission, Climate-KIC brings together leading organisations from academia, research, business and the public sector to collaborate in bringing the best solutions to market. Climate-KIC has over 200 partners including Imperial College London, Veolia, ENGIE, Schiphol Airport and many leading European cities. In its’ first five years it has supported hundreds of start-ups, has a student alumnus of 2000+ and has delivered more than €2bn of sustainable innovation activity. Ian was previously Chief Executive of the Institute for Sustainability – an independent charity established to pilot and trial systemic solutions for sustainable cities and communities – and a partner of Climate-KIC. Previously, Ian was Deputy Chief Executive at the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC), a public/private regeneration agency in east London, which he helped establish in 2005.