The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), on Teesside, has welcomed two additions to its fuel cells team. DR JON HELLIWELL is project manager for the CPI's fuel cell applications operations and MARK NAILIS has joined the team as business development manager.

The CPI was set up in April last year in the Tees Valley by regional development agency One NorthEast to improve innovation in the process industries.

Dr Helliwell has had a distinguished career in a number of research and project management posts with global companies that include Cookson Group, International Paint, and Johnson Matthey.

He has worked across the UK and led manufacturing projects in Florida and Malaysia.

His role at the CPI is to ensure fuel cell projects run to time and on budget and that they deliver their aims.

He said: "The resources and knowledge in the Tees Valley make it a perfect place to develop a hub for fuel cell technology and this vision is moving closer all the time."

Mr Nailis began his career as a circuit design engineer for Pioneer Electronics, in Tokyo. He has also worked for Thorn EMI defence organisation, developing and testing underwater weapons with the British Navy in the UK.

Other companies he has worked for include Nissan Technology, Nikon Tech, in Germany, and Siemens, and has spent the past five years working on a number of applied research programmes at the University of Newcastle, ranging from developing heart sensors to studying lugworms.

He also speaks and writes Japanese.