SHIFT, the innovation partnership programme and urban testbed at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, has appointed a new Chief Innovation Officer.

Abdul Rahim will move from his current role at CrowdHelix Ltd, an open innovation and collaboration platform that he founded in 2013.

Abdul is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in business development, strategy, and corporate governance. At CrowdHelix he helped design, build, and scale one of Europe's most effective networks for R&D and innovation funding, resulting in significant advancements and improvements in the field.

SHIFT is Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s innovation partnership programme and urban testbed.  As a key part of the legacy from the London 2012 Games, SHIFT will help cement the Park’s position as a national innovation asset.  It is backed by the London Legacy Development Corporation and world-leading partners including University College London, University of the Arts London, Loughborough University in London, Here East, Plexal and Lendlease. 

SHIFT enables innovators to tackle some of the biggest questions that face society, and east Londoners, today. Through its programming, SHIFT enables SMEs, communities and corporates with innovative solutions to trial their solutions on the real-world testbed that the Park provides.   Projects all fall under three key themes that affect London and other cities: the climate emergency, health and wellbeing and the movement of people and goods.

Francesca Colloca, Head of Innovation at SHIFT said, “As SHIFT evolves, we were looking for an experienced and passionate leader to help guide the project through the next exciting stage of growth. We are delighted that Abdul has joined us to help build our unique ecosystem of innovators around the Park and to accelerate our innovation programme.”

Abdul Rahim said, “I am delighted to join SHIFT at this exciting time of its development and contribute to the creation of an ecosystem that empowers innovators to leverage the exceptional assets of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. I look forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders to drive inclusive innovation and deliver sustainable impact across east London and beyond.”