THE man behind a partnership between York, Leeds and Sheffield Universities has left his position.

Martin Doxey has left his role as chief executive of the White Rose University Consortium and Simon Donoghue has stepped in as acting CEO.

Mr Doxey, who is a Chartered Engineer, will now become managing director of Claro Precision Engineering in Knaresborough, which works in the medical, aerospace, communications and laser industries and employs 47 staff.

Mr Donoghue is currently head of the University of Leeds' Project Management Group, and will now steer White Rose through its work in supporting research partnerships between the universities, business, national and regional bodies.

In his three years as chief executive, Martin, who was based at the Innovation Centre at York Science Park, helped White Rose secure more than £40 million in funding. His major achievements include developing the pioneering £2.8 million White Rose Grid, which provides shared computational power to researchers at the three universities.

The Grid - named as a Centre of Excellence for e-Science in the UK - allows the development of joint research activities with businesses in the region and beyond. White Rose has also been appointed to run the National Science Learning Centre, which will be built in York to invigorate science teaching throughout Britain.

The organization will also run the Science Learning Centre for Yorkshire and Humberside, one of six regional centres to be set up throughout the UK.

Updated: 09:48 Friday, July 02, 2004