Roy is Emeritus Professor and Special Innovation Advisor at the University of Technology Sydney, where he was Dean of the UTS Business School. He gained his undergraduate degrees from the University of Adelaide and a PhD in Economics from the University of Cambridge.

Roy has published widely in the areas of innovation, industry and regional development, including projects with the OECD and European Commission. He is a Fellow of the RSA, Royal Society of NSW and the Centre for Policy Development.

 Roy has led and participated in numerous public inquiries and reviews, and he chaired the Australian Government’s Innovative Regions Centre, CSIRO Manufacturing Sector Advisory Council, NSW Manufacturing Industries Advisory Council and Queensland Competition Authority. He was also a member of the Prime Minister’s Manufacturing Taskforce and a board director of the Innovative Manufacturing CRC.

 Currently Roy chairs the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub, Food Innovation & Agribusiness Ltd (FIAL) Industry Growth Centre and the Port of Newcastle, and he is a board director of the SmartSat CRC and a member of the Australian Design Council and NSW Modern Manufacturing Taskforce.