Tom Adeyoola
Executive Chair
Innovate UK
Series 6
S6 EP1: Building the UK’s Innovation Future
We’re opening our new series with a two-part conversation about where UK growth will come from next, and what space has to do with it.
Our panel look at why Innovate UK has refreshed its strategy and what that means for businesses across the economy. They discuss why the most valuable innovations increasingly emerge where sectors meet, and why these collaboration across industries matters more than ever.
The conversation also explores how the Satellite Applications Catapult has evolved alongside the space sector and its customers, and how our mission-led approach connects industry needs to the technology that can meet them, creating a clear path from challenge to deployment.
Along the way, the guests take on some big questions. Can the government be an anchor customer for UK companies? How do we keep promising UK companies here as they scale? And does the UK need to be better at storytelling and ‘bang the drum’ for our success stories?
Episode Guests
John Abbott
CEO
Satellite Applications Catapult
Sue Daly
Director of Tech and Innovation
techUK
Episode Host
Dallas Campbell
Broadcaster and Writer
Dallas presents some of television’s most popular factual programmes, his immersive documentaries lift the curtain on our human planet, giving audiences of all ages and backgrounds an exclusive backstage pass to some of the world’s most fascinating stories, ideas and places.
Beyond television, Dallas is an author, speaker, and ambassador for STEM education. He works closely with several major outreach initiatives which help kids across the UK think creatively about technology and innovation. He works internationally with the British Council’s FameLab project, designing and running workshops for early career academics, helping them hone their science communication skills.
Outer Orbit
Why does America make space feel like a national ambition, while Britain’s achievements can struggle to attract attention?
In this Outer Orbit bonus episode, Dallas Campbell speaks with Tom Adeyoola, Executive Chair of Innovate UK, about the cultural and financial differences shaping the UK space industry and its US counterpart. Tom argues that Britain needs to identify where it can create value in the emerging space economy, then explain that opportunity in language people can understand.
Dallas and Tom discuss the tension between selling a vision and waiting until an idea is proven, the UK’s venture capital development, and why emerging technologies may need investors prepared to think over ten years. For founders, investors and space communicators, this short conversation offers a clear starting point: connect technical ability with a convincing story and the backing to pursue it.
Get in Touch
If you’d like to contact us about any episode of In-Orbit, collaboration opportunities, or to find out more about how we can help your business, please email marketing@sa.catapult.org.uk
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