Rob McCombe is the ICOs Principal Policy Advisor of Emerging Technology in the Innovation Directorate. He is responsible for leading the ICO’s research and horizon scanning function and has delivered deep dive research reports on future uses of biometrics and neurotechnologies and is currently delivering work on genomics. He has also supported the wider horizon scanning function and production of Tech Horizon Reports, allowing the ICO to examine the intersection of data protection and emerging technologies.

He joined the ICO in 2016 and has worked in a range of roles across the organisation, including in civil investigations, intelligence and policy delivery, where he oversaw the ICO Grants Programme which supported innovative research in areas as diverse as children’s privacy, anonymisation techniques and data sharing.  Prior to working at the ICO, Rob spent much of his career working in the Higher Education sector as a lecturer and researcher in the archaeology and heritage sector.