Rupert Baines new chair of Cambridge Tech Week

Baines is regarded as a semiconductor wizard and formerly steered UltraSoc, Codisip and QPT.

He left QPT last October, around a month after the startup won the Young Company of the Year category of the Business Weekly Awards.

He said at the time: “QPT has amazing technology that could change the world and help reduce climate change. I have had a fascinating time as CEO successfully bringing the message of this technology to industry leaders.

“Potential customers and partners are all aligned now so my skillset of finding the right connections is no longer required and I have decided to move on to other business interests.”

Exactly a year ago, QPT – a Cambridge based specialist in developing highly efficient GaN-based electric motor controls – saw its Crowdcube funding round pass the £1 million milestone with three days to go to the official deadline.

The company had previously raised £1.69m to fund R & D but was in fast-track growth mode as it pursued a market forecast to be worth $60 billion by 2030.

Baines made his public debut as chair of Cambridge Tech Week at a preliminary event at the Hills Road offices of law firm Mills & Reeve on Tuesday. He is still finding his feet in the new role but says: “I am looking forward to it. CTW is a great event and I’m delighted to be involved.”

The programme is in the process of being fleshed out. CTW runs from Monday September 15 but no events are being staged to interrupt what promises to be a blockbusting 35th anniversary Business Weekly Awards dinner on the night of the 15th at Queens’ College.

• You can follow progress on CTW and apply for tickets at https://cambridgetechweek.co.uk. And you can enter the 35th anniversary Business Weekly Awards by accessing https://www.businessweekly.co.uk/awards-submission