Franziska Sohns is an Associate Professor in Economic Geography, researching entrepreneurial ecosystems, regional development and innovation. She is also Knowledge and Innovation Lead for the School of Economics, Finance and Law, supporting commercialisation and knowledge exchange. Alongside academia, she is an academic founder developing an Innovate UK-supported software spin-out planned for early 2027. The venture grew from BrewAI, originally helping SME breweries estimate and reduce their carbon footprint, and now focuses on using energy data and digital twins to forecast production, identify time-shifting opportunities and assess energy-efficiency investments. Originally from Germany and now based in London, Franziska expects to become CEO of the spin-out.