Warren East, the former CEO of chip designer ARM, is to join a new quango whose purpose is to boost innovation in the UK's "digital economy".
East will assume the role of non-executive director of Connected Digital Economy Catapult (CDEC), which has been set up by the Technology Strategy Board with the purpose of promoting the UK's digital sector abroad.
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It will be funded by both public and private sectors. The organisation is expected to receive funding in the region of £1bn over the next few years.
Later this year, CDEC will open a centre in London providing an "exciting and new networking and collaboration space" intended to "bring the best of research, business academia and SMEs together and to showcase the best of digital in the UK", according to the organisation.
It continued: "The Catapult is part of a network of world-leading technology and innovation centres established and overseen by the Technology Strategy Board as a long-term investment that will open up global opportunities for the UK and generate economic growth for the future."
East was CEO of ARM for more than a decade, after taking over from founding CEO Robin Saxby, who defined the company's business model and direction, firmly establishing it in the market against rivals such as MIPS, IBM's PowerPC and Hitachi's SH-series architecture.
He resigned from his role in March, stepping aside at the beginning of May to let Simon Segars take over.
"Warren not only represents the very best of UKs digital economy leadership but also has first-hand experience of taking an innovation led business from start-up to global leader - exactly the journey we hope we can help many UK digital innovators make.
"I look forward to working with Warren in the coming months and to learning from his insight and success," said CDEC chief executive Neil Crockett.
