SPEAKERS

HEAR INFLUENTIAL VOICES

The 2023 Organising and Programme Committee are delighted to welcome the following speakers at the UK Space Conference in Belfast.

Please use the below tabs to view all speakers across all session tracks; Plenaries, DISCOVER, GROW and SECURE.

SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT

We would like to shine a spotlight on some of our must-see speakers for the UK Space Conference 2023. These people have so much valuable insight and unique perspectives to share throughout our programme. 

FULL SPEAKER LINE UP

More speakers to be announced.

Current Plenary Speakers


Josef Aschbacher
European Space Agency
Director General

Dr Paul Bate
UK Space Agency
CEO

Lucy Edge
Satellite Applications Catapult
Chief Operations Officer

Rebecca Evernden
DSIT
Director of Space

Aarti Holla-Maini
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
Director

Tim Just
Innovate UK
Head of Portfolio for AI and Data economy

Annelies Look
UK Space Agency
Deputy CEO

Alastair McGibbon
Space Forge
Head of Business Development

Professor Dimitra Simeonidou
University of Bristol
Professor and Director, Smart Internet Lab

Track Speakers


Professor Adam Amara
University of Surrey
Professor

Yuri Andersson
ANGOKA
CEO

Matthew Archer
UK Space Agency
Director of Launch

Martin Barstow
Space Park Leicester, University of Leicester
Director of Strategic Partnerships

Anita Bernie
MDA Space and Robotics Limited
Managing Director

Portia Bircher
UK Space Agency
Business Support Lead

John Bone
e2e Group
COO

Craig Brown
UK Space Agency
Director of Investment

Louise Butt
Space South Central Enterprise Network
Director

Justin Byrne
Airbus
Head of EOS UK & NEO Projects

Dr Carmine Clemente
University of Strathclyde
Reader

Nafeesa Dajda
Satellite Applications Catapult
Director of National Capabilities

Charles Davis
Earth-i
CEO

Florian Deconinck
Open Cosmos
VP Growth

Dr Emma Egging OBE
Jon Egging Trust
CEO

Rebecca Evernden
DSIT
Director of Space

Andrew Fournet
CGI
Consultant

Patrick Francis
Airbus Defence and Space
Special Advisor

Dr Kathryn Hadler
European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC)
Director

Simone Hartless
Satellite Applications Catapult
Head of Cluster Growth

Euan Harvey
GlobalTrust
Business Development Manager

Michael Healy
European Space Agency
Head of Science Projects

Mark Hewer
Telespazio UK Ltd
CEO

Jill Hutchinson
Thales Alenia Space in the UK
Head of Communications

Avril Jolliffe
Ministry of Defence
Director-General Industry, Trade and Economic Security

Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB
Satellite Applications Catapult
Non-Executive Director

Doug Liddle
In-Space Missions Ltd
CEO

Annelies Look
UK Space Agency
Deputy CEO

Pat Malaviarachchi
MDA
Principal Mission Architect

Kevin Mcloughlin
DSIT Space Directorate
Head of Space Security, Resilience and Regulation

Kelly Murphy
Invest NI
AME Sector Manager & Space Lead

James Myers
Aerospace Corporation
Senior Vice President

Professor Anu Ojha OBE
UK Space Agency
Director for Engagement, International and Inspiration

Professor Máire O'Neill
Queen's University Belfast
Director, Centre for Secure Information Technologies

David Parker
European Space Agency
Special Advisor

Dr Eric Rees
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)
Data Scientist

Professor John Remedios
National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO)
Director

Helen Roberts
UK Space Agency
GSTP Programme Manager

Barry Ross
e2E Services Ltd
CEO

Harshbir Sangha MBE FRSA
UK Space Agency
Director Missions and Capabilities (EO, LEO & Space Security and Resilience)

Thomas Santini
Lodestar
Co-Founder & CTO

Professor Eamon Scullion
Northumbria University

Elizabeth Seward
BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
Head of Space

Nick Shave
Astroscale Ltd
Managing Director

Kevin Shaw
UK Space Agency
NEM

Dr Marianne Shelton
UK Space Conference
Space to Learn Lead

Christina Smith
Space Hub Yorkshire
Space Technology Lead

Stephen Straughan
UK Space Agency
Head of Security & Resilience

Sean Sutcliffe
Oxford Space Systems
Chief Executive

Professor Sir Martin Sweeting
SSTL
Chairman

Gertrud Talvik
European Space Agency
Industrial Policy Officer

Peter Trussell
UK Space Agency
Future Workforce Lead

Chris White-Horne
UK Space Agency
Deputy CEO

Current Plenary Speakers


Major General Philippe Adam
French Air and Space Force - Space Command
French Space Commander

Brigadier General Mike Adamson
Royal Canadian Air Force
Commander, 3 Canadian Space Division, and Joint Forces Space Component Commander

Dr Alice Bunn OBE
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
CEO

Massimo Claudio Comparini
Thales Alenia Space Italia
CEO

Air Vice Marshal Paul Godfrey
UK Space Command
Commander UK Space Command

Tony Holt
BAE systems
CSIO

Anushka Sharma
Space Academic Network
SPAN Liaison Manager

Professor Mark Sims
University of Leicester/Space Academic Network
Space Projects & Instrumentation Lead

Major General Michael Traut
German Armed Forces
Commander German Space Command

Group Captain Scott Woodland
Royal Australian Air Force
Air & Space Advisor

Track Speakers


Rob Adlard
Gravitilab Aerospace Services
Founder, CEO & CTO

Peter Anderson
AAC Clyde Space
Chief Commercial Officer

Allen Antrobus
Serco Ltd
Head of Strategy Air and Space

Antonios Atlasis
European Space Agency
Head of Systems Security Engineering Section (TEC-ESS)

Julie Black
UK Space Agency
Director of Missions & Capabilities, Discovery & Sustainability

Joshua Broom
Department for Business & Trade
Head of Space

Rob Brougham
Braided Communications Limited
Co-Founder

Dr Alice Bunn OBE
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
CEO

Dallas Campbell
National Geographic
Television Presenter

James Carpenter
European Space Agency (ESA)
Moon and Mars Science Lead

Yun-Hang Cho
AMRC
Engineer and Space Sector Engagement

Peter Davies
Thales
Director - Security Concepts

Rob Desborough
Seraphim Space
General Partner

Frankie Devlin
KPMG
Partner, Indirect Tax

Paul Eccleston
RAL Space - UKRI STFC
Chief Engineer

Tales Gaspar
techUK
Programme Manager - UK SPF and Satellite

Duhita Govindji
PA Consulting Group
Associate Partner

Della Granville
Maxar Technologies
Director, Business Development and Government Relations, UK

Steve Greenland
Craft Prospect Ltd
Managing Director

Major Jeremy Grunert
United States Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps

Joanna Hart
Space Partnership
Space Partnership Director

Mark Hewer
Telespazio UK Ltd
CEO

Robert Hill
Northern Ireland Space
Director

Libby Jackson OBE
UK Space Agency
Head of Space Exploration

Professor Gary Jones
Rolls-Royce
Head of Manufacturing Innovation

Harriet Kennedy
UK Space Agency
Head of Education & Future Workforce

Volodymyr Levykin
Skyrora
CEO

Richard Lowe
Satellite Applications Catapult
Director, Technical Services

Colin Macleod
UK Civil Aviation Authority
Head of UK Space Regulation

Kevin Mcloughlin
DSIT Space Directorate
Head of Space Security, Resilience and Regulation

Dr Peter Mendham
Bright Ascension
CEO

Group Captain Karen-Anne Moran
UK Space Command
Deputy Head Plans

Professor Anu Ojha OBE
UK Space Agency
Director for Engagement, International and Inspiration

David Parker
European Space Agency
Special Advisor

Marie-Claire Perkinson
Airbus
Head of UK Exploration Future Programmes

Melissa Quinn
Slingshot Seradata
Managing Director

Jaime Reed
CGI
Vice President Consulting Services

Simon Reid
D-Orbit UK
Managing Director

Nick Shave
Astroscale Ltd
Managing Director

Kevin Shaw
UK Space Agency
NEM

Gertrud Talvik
European Space Agency
Industrial Policy Officer

Andy Titcomb
Amberjack Consulting and Technology
Director

Jenna Tiwana
ispace inc
Senior Strategy Advisor

Enrico Tormena
European Space Agency
System Engineer

Andy Vick
RAL Space (UKRI/STFC)
Head of Disruptive Technology

Robert Walsh
University of Central Lancashire
Professor of Solar Physics, Academic Lead UCLan Space

Joanne Wheeler MBE
Alden Legal
Managing Partner

Patrick Wood
Airbus Defence and Space
Head of Space Systems UK

Current Plenary Speakers


John Abbott
Satellite Applications Catapult
Chief Executive Officer

Dr Kathy Bass
DSIT
Deputy Director Space Strategy and UK Space Agency Sponsorship

Dr Paul Bate
UK Space Agency
CEO

Sarah Beardsley
UKRI - Science and Technology Facilities Council
Director STFC-RAL Space

Craig Brown
UK Space Agency
Director of Investment

John Hanley
CGI
Senior VP Consulting Services

Rafel Jorda Siquier
Open Cosmos
CEO

Malcolm Macdonald
University of Strathclyde
Professor

Rt. Hon Chinyelu Susan Onwurah, MP
Shadow Minister for Industrial Strategy, Science and Innovation

David Parker
European Space Agency
Special Advisor

Kate Robson-Brown
Space Academic Network
Co_chair SPAN

Patrick Wood
Airbus Defence and Space
Head of Space Systems UK

Track Speakers


Sam Adlen
Space Solar
Co-CEO

Rushanka Amrutkar
Environment Agency
Senior Advisor- Earth Observation and Remote Sensing

Dr Nick Appleyard
European Space Agency ESA
Head of Applications and Solutions

Matthew Archer
UK Space Agency
Director of Launch

Portia Bircher
UK Space Agency
Business Support Lead

James Black
RAND
European Lead - Space

Joshua Broom
Department for Business & Trade
Head of Space

Craig Brown
UK Space Agency
Director of Investment

Neil Buchanan
Queens University Belfast
Senior Lecturer

Gerald Buller
Heriot-Watt University
Professor

Clinton Clark
ExoAnalytic
Vice President of First Impressions

Shane Clark
Astraius
Chief Technology Officer

Martin Coates
Orbex
CEO

Matt Cosby
Goonhilly Earth Station
CTO

Alan Cross
UKRI-STFC
North West Space Cluster Manager

Anuradha Damale-Day
Satellite Applications Catapult
Space Ecosystem Manager

Paul Febvre
Satellite Applications Catapult
Chief Technology Officer

Josh Fedder
Department for Science Innovation & Technology
Head of Space Strategy

Robert Fletcher
Airbus Intelligence UK
Head of EO and satellite operations

Alex Godfrey
Astroscale
Business Development Manager

Hugh Griffin
IceMos Technology Corporation
Chief Strategy Officer

Mark Henry
BT Plc
Director of Network Strategy & Spectrum

Robert Hill
Northern Ireland Space
Director

Rory Holmes
ClearSpace
UK Managing Director

Jon Hulks
UK Space Agency
Space Ecosystem Development Manager

Libby Jackson OBE
UK Space Agency
Head of Space Exploration

Ayesha Khalid
Queen's University Belfast
Senior lecturer

Dr Hina Khan
Space Scotland
Executive Director

Krupa Nanda Kumar
Space4Climate
Climate Services Development Manager

Anton Monk
Viasat
Vice President

Jonathan Nattrass
Bullitt
Chief Product Officer

Professor Anu Ojha OBE
UK Space Agency
Director for Engagement, International and Inspiration

Claire Parfitt
European Space Agency
Mars Exploration Study Lead

Sharon Parker-Lines
Astroscale
Deputy Managing Director & Senior Vice President Business Operations, Government & Regulatory Affairs

Dr Naomi Rowe-Gurney
Royal Astronomical Society
EDI Officer

Rico Santiago
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland
Deputy Head of Business Development

Elizabeth Seward
BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
Head of Space

Rob Spurrett
Lacuna Space
CEO

Kristina Tamane
University of Edinburgh
Space Sector Lead

Alan Thompson
Skyrora Ltd
Head of Government Affairs

Tim Tinsley
National Nuclear Lab
Account Director

Jenna Tiwana
ispace inc
Senior Strategy Advisor

Dmitry Zelenchuk
Queen's university Belfast
Senior Lecturer