CENSIS - Scotland’s centre for sensor and imaging systems and Internet of Things technologies - has appointed an international executive to its board.
Amsterdam-based Sophie van Dijk is the founder of GumCare companion, a tech start-up focused on the dental care market.
She previously held roles in the oil and gas industry in Dubai with Norwegian operator DNO ASA and in Iraq, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, and Japan with Royal Dutch Shell.
Van Dijk's skills and experience were recently recognised by her peers when she was included in the NextWomen to Watch 2020, which highlights the 50 most promising female company founders. She will bring a broad set of experience and skills to the CENSIS board, including in business development and innovation.
This latest appointment marks the fifth addition to the CENSIS board this year.
Earlier in 2020, Glasgow City Council head of digital economy Anne McLister, global client partner and former head of IoT sales at Vodafone Stuart Mitchell, tech entrepreneur and founder of Firestalk Howard Perkins and chief technology officer and founder of Ubisense Andy Ward, helped bolster the innovation centre’s steering group.
Jacqueline Redmond, chair of CENSIS, said: “Sophie is a great appointment for the CENSIS board, with her experience in de-risking and deploying innovation, appreciation of customer needs, and a sharp eye for the bottom line.
“On top of all this, she is a driven, dynamic, high-energy individual and has great connections with European innovation hubs, helping us to forge even stronger links with our peers on the continent.
“The addition of Sophie rounds off a year of change for the CENSIS board, following a handful of appointments earlier in the year.
“After a challenging 2020 for the vast majority of companies, our board will play an important role in helping the businesses we work with to embrace technologies; develop new products, services, and ways of working; and collaborate to help their respective sectors recover and return to growth.”
Sophie van Dijk said: “I am passionate about supporting the commercialisation of technology and innovation, and look forward to pushing this forward at CENSIS.
“With the support of our diverse group of stakeholders, I hope to drive the instigation and development of projects that will end up as successful innovations – or even start-up companies – with significant potential not only in Scotland and the UK, but across Europe as well.”
