By Tabitha Caswell for Bioenterprise
Dr. Jason Cleaversmith’s expertise in aquaculture, fermentation, and natural products has evolved through a unique combination of academic and professional career experiences and is shaped by the strong bonds he’s forged within an expanding network. Embracing a journey from geology to marine biotechnology and biologics, interwoven with business leadership, he embodies the entrepreneurial sentiment that with an open mind and the courage to take risks, every new experience is a new opportunity for growth.
As Executive Director, Incubation and Infrastructure at Prince Edward Island BioAlliance (PEI BioAlliance), and member of the Science and Innovation Advisory Committee (SIAC) at Bioenterprise Canada, Dr. Cleaversmith shares valuable insights from his unique perspective at the intersection of science and commerce.
Between Land and Sea
Born in the United Kingdom (UK), Jason grew up with a deep love of the outdoors. Near his hometown in Yorkshire, a school trip took him to the top of the UK’s tallest freestanding structure, the Emley Moor transmitting mast, for a bird’s eye view of the surrounding countryside and beyond. Scanning the waters of the Irish Sea in the west and across to the North Sea in the east, a curiosity took hold that sent him on a search to learn all about the wonders of the natural world.
As a young adult, an initial attraction to glaciology led him to the University of Edinburgh, but after a few rugged, adventurous excursions across Scotland, he discovered a passion for geology, so he switched educational gears and changed his major. This shift in academic focus eventually steered him toward a PhD in marine environmental geochemistry, complemented by hands-on experience through a summer studentship with BP Norge.
After completing his PhD, Dr. Cleaversmith led a fledgling commercialization unit at Scotland’s premier marine institute, the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), spearheading significant projects, including the world’s first offshore baseline survey of a soon-to-be decommissioned nuclear power plant. After time spent floating around the Baltic and North Seas, studying the residence time of pollutants and the impacts of drill cuttings on the marine environment, he pursued his MBA at the University of Glasgow to build a more complete knowledge base in the basics of business.
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