Dr. Sahand Zanjani-pour

Sahand has a background in scientific research and leads Oxentia’s work on AI and digital strategy. He works with universities, research organisations, governments, and corporate clients to design and implement responsible AI strategies and evidence-based approaches to knowledge exchange and commercialisation.

He has extensive experience in the UK higher education innovation landscape, including deep knowledge of the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF), Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF), and Higher Education Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey. Sahand has worked with multiple universities to develop commercialisation activities for their facilities and research centres. He supports institutions in developing strategies and data-driven approaches that align with national KE policy and funding mechanisms. 

He has led and delivered cross-sector programmes covering AI governance, digital transformation, and innovation strategy. These include TurkAIx, a UK Government–funded initiative for bilateral collaboration between the UK and Türkiye on AI policy and startup support. His work also includes safe integration of AI tools and development of frameworks for Responsible AI aligned with regional policies.

Before joining Oxentia, Sahand completed a PhD in Computational Biomechanics at the University of Exeter and held postdoctoral research posts at the Universities of Oxford and Sheffield. His scientific background in medical imaging and computational modelling underpins his analytical approach to digital transformation and technology commercialisation.

He has delivered projects and training across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East, supporting higher education institutions, startups, and government agencies to embed innovation capability and strengthen their knowledge exchange performance.