Innovation and Technology

Strategy and Economic Development

TECHNICAL SOFTWARE

Keston Technologies is a distributor of several world-leading technical software packages in various territories

CONSULTING SERVICES

Welcome to Keston Technologies and Keston Economics

Based in the UK (Keston Technologies) and Australia (Keston Economics), we are a dynamic consulting organisation specialising in innovation, project and program management, strategy development and regional economic development. Since 2004, we have delivered projects for clients across Europe and Australia, often in partnership with other organisations.

From advising government agencies on strategy development and innovation programmes, to developing & monitoring publicly-funded projects, to developing regional economic development plans, to providing commercialisation services to nanotechnology centres, to assisting Welsh biotechnology companies to access overseas markets, Keston is a highly effective resource .

We have a portfolio of projects in:

Monitoring of innovation and R&D projects.
Evaluation of innovation programs, their impacts and effectiveness.
Development of innovation-related initiatives, including centres of excellence and co-working spaces.
Exploitation and commercialisation of research.
Strategic studies in regional and economic development.
Economic analyses, impact studies and feasibility studies.
Development of business cases and cost-benefit analyses.
International business development and strategy, in Australasia, Europe and North America.

Based on:

A background in innovation, strategy and commercialisation.
Many years of experience in the monitoring and evaluation of innovation projects and programs.
Thorough economic analysis & needs assessments, informing well-argued feasibility studies & business cases.
In-depth knowledge of regional development priorities & needs.
Report writing, including clearly articulated strategies & recommendations for implementation.
Robust stakeholder analysis and consultation tools founded on robust social research principles.
Working across academia, industry and government.

Our team

Dr Richard Ball

Principal, Keston Technologies

Director, Keston Economics

Richard has over thirty years of experience in developing international business in high technology areas in a range of sectors - food & drink , nuclear programs, forensic science, materials & technical software. Following a career with AEA Technology, in 2002 he was appointed the founding Chief Executive Officer of the National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC) in the UK. In this role, he successfully built the company and its services to deliver against a range of objectives, including inward investment, regional development and support for the metals industry. In 2004, Richard founded Keston Technologies.

Richard has held a number of academic appointments, including: Lecturer (New College, Oxford), Industrial Fellow (Wolfson College, Oxford), Member of the sub-Faculty of Chemistry (University of Oxford), Visiting Research Fellow (Imperial College, London), Adjunct Senior Lecturer (University of Western Australia).

Read more Download CV

Michael Keeler

Senior Consultant, Keston Technologies

Director, Keston Economics

Michael undertakes a range of business case development, grant consultancy, proposal development and research activities for Keston Technologies’ and Keston Economics' clients. He has a range of key competencies, including:

Over ten years of experience researching and writing feasibility studies, business cases and various grant applications within the Great Southern, Peel and South West regions of Western Australia.
High level experience developing robust economic and financial models to support funding applications, feasibility studies and/or business planning and strategy, including cost benefit analyses, forward planning projections and quantitative option analysis.
Strategic and business planing.
High proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative research.
High proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office tools.

Rod Shephard

Senior Associate Consultant, Keston Economics

Rod joined BOC Australia in 1989, and worked in a variety of engineering and operational roles before transferring to the BOC Group Head office in the UK in 1996, where he led a number of global projects to improve productivity and effectiveness by identifying and implementing global Best Practices in Operational, Sales and Commercial disciplines. In 2002, Rod accepted his first general management role, transferring to Singapore to manage BOC’s East Asian healthcare businesses. The role gave Rod first-hand understanding of leading teams and running businesses in the great diversity of Asia. After returning to Sydney in 2005 to run BOC’s South Pacific Healthcare business, BOC was acquired by The Linde Group and Rod was appointed head of Linde’s first Asia Pacific Healthcare business. After six years in the Asia Pacific role Rod left Linde to establish his own business offering strategy consultancy services, and joined Keston Technologies at the same time.

Our clients

Keston Technologies' clients in Europe

Government

UK Government, Technology Strategy Board (Innovate UK)
EUREKA Association
European Commission
Czech Government, Ministry of Education
Welsh Assembly Government, UK

Private Sector

Atticus Ltd
Beta Technology Ltd
G&H Associates Ltd
MCPA Software Ltd
Ricardo plc
Torgy Atlantic

Keston Economics' clients in Australia

Government

Government of Western Australia

Great Southern Development Commission
Kimberley Development Commission
Mid-West Development Commission
South West Development Commission
Department of Commerce
LandCorp
Dept of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions
Dept of Primary Industries & Regional Development
Dept of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries
Tourism Western Australia

Local governments

City of Albany
RDA Great Southern
Shires of Broomehill-Tambellup, Cranbrook, Denmark, Gonowangerup, Jerramungup, Katanning, Kent, Kojonup, Plantagenet, Woodanilling
Shire of Murray
South Coast Alliance

Commonwealth government

Department of Industry & Innovation
Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources
RDA Great Southern

Not-for-Profit

Access Housing
Advance Housing (formerly Great Southern Community Housing Association)
Albany Agricultural Society
Albany Basketball Association
Albany MenShed
Albany Speedway
Albany Surf-Lifesaving Club
Albany Worklink
Albany Youth Support Association
Alzheimer’s WA
Community Living Association
Creative Albany
Denmark Surf-Lifesaving Club
Emu Point Sporting Club
Gnowangerup Aboriginal Corporation
Great Southern Institute of Technology
Katanning Community Childcare Centre
Katanning Community Resource Centre
Katanning Country Club
Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association
Lower Great Southern Tennis Assn
Outdoors Great Southern
Pivot Support Services
Plantagenet Village Homes
Railways Football & Sporting Club
South Coast NRM, Inc.
University of Sydney, Australia
University of Western Australia
WA College of Agriculture - Denmark
WA Parks Foundation
Wheatbelt Catchment Alliance