Juan Ramón Candia (JR)

JR Candia is a climate innovation and sustainability leader working at the intersection of science, technology, and business to accelerate the deployment of climate solutions at scale. He is currently Climate Innovation Hub Manager at the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures, where he drives high-impact initiatives that support the scale-up of climate technologies from concept to commercial deployment.

His work includes leading involvement in EarthScale, a national consortium led by Imperial College London that brings together leading UK universities to support climate startups at critical scaling stages, and contributing to the Cluster Action Framework in Climate Tech, a regional network advancing the climate tech ecosystem. Previously, JR conducted research at the University of York’s School for Business and Society, analysing digital climate start-ups and business models addressing climate-related challenges. He also contributed to several research projects exploring the barriers UK companies face in achieving Net Zero and helping them navigate evolving ESG disclosure frameworks, investigating sustainability in the Digital Twin-Driven Smart Manufacturing System project, among others.

With 25+ years of international experience, JR has led over 200 sustainability and innovation projects across government, industry, academia, and the startup ecosystem. His roles have spanned senior management, consultancy, entrepreneurship, mentoring, and board-level advisory, supporting multinational companies, SMEs, NGOs, startups, and public institutions. His work has contributed to over £100M in client value, including co-founding five companies, leading the development of deep-tech climate solutions (TRL 4–9), managing lab and pilot-scale testing, and supporting commercialisation and business model development.

JR’s expertise covers climate and clean technologies, water management, environmental risk, land remediation, conservation, and sustainable production. Known for building strong partnerships and mentoring innovators, he is also a regular speaker on climate innovation, sustainability transitions, and nature-positive business models. He holds a PhD in Management, an MSc in Sustainable Development, a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Sciences, and a degree in Marine Biology, and has worked across Europe, Latin America, and Oceania.