Better space: Consolidating the UK National Space Enterprise

The Council on Geostrategy is pleased to invite you to our upcoming public panel event, ‘Better space: Consolidating the UK National Space Enterprise’, taking place on Monday, 9th December 2024, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, at the Palace of Westminster.

This event is part of our Strategic Advantage Cell programme, which examines how the United Kingdom can maximise its influence and achieve national objectives with greater efficiency and effectiveness. The programme focuses on how the UK can enhance its strategic position in relation to competitors, addressing key challenges in British defence and security.

This instalment marks the launch of the Policy Paper by Gabriel Elefteriu, ‘Better space: Consolidating the UK National Space Enterprise’. The paper emphasises the need for the UK to establish a robust space policy by reasserting control and reorganising its institutional frameworks. It advocates for the creation of a National Space Enterprise as the central pillar of a reformed space strategy. This enterprise should be grounded in three core principles: unity of effort, speed of delivery, and enhanced capability. By adopting this approach, HM Government can position the UK as a formidable space power for the 21st century. The panel will seek to bring out the themes and topics explored in the paper.

The panel will be chaired by Chi Onwurah MP, and will include James Black, Assistant Director of the Defence and Security Research Group, RAND Europe; Dr Alice Bunn OBE, Chief Executive, Institution of Mechanical Engineers; Gabriel Elefteriu, Deputy Director (Defence and Space Policy), Council on Geostrategy; and Ian Taylor MBE, Minister of Science, Space & Technology, 1994-1997.

Tickets

This event is now at capacity, please contact [email protected] if you wish to be added to the waiting list.

Speakers

James Black

• Assistant Director of the Defence and Security Research Group, RAND Europe
  James Black is Assistant Director of the Defence and Security research group at RAND Europe, where he leads the Defence Strategy, Policy, and Capability portfolio. He also serves as the European Lead for the RAND Space Enterprise Initiative, a global hub for space-related research, and advises the Centre for Defence Economics and Acquisition. He has led a wide range of studies for the UK Ministry of Defence, NATO, the EU, and defence agencies from Australia, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, and the US.

Dr Alice Bunn OBE

• Chief Executive, Institution of Mechanical Engineers
  Dr Alice Bunn OBE is the Chief Executive of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a position she has held since July 2021. She also sits on the Board of EngineeringUK, chairs the Professional Engineering Committee, and is President of the UKSpace trade association. Previously, Dr Bunn served as International Director at the UK Space Agency, where she advanced the UK’s global influence in science, security, and trade through space initiatives.

Gabriel Elefteriu

• Deputy Director (Defence and Space Policy), Council on Geostrategy
  Gabriel Elefteriu FRAeS is Deputy Director at the Council on Geostrategy, where his research focuses on defence and space policy. Gabriel also leads the Strategic Advantage Cell with William Freer. Previously he was Director of Research and Strategy and member of the Senior Management Team at Policy Exchange, which he first joined in 2014 and where he also founded and directed the first dedicated Space Policy Research Unit in the United Kingdom.

Ian Taylor MBE

• Minister of Science, Space and Technology, 1994-1997
  Ian Taylor MBE currently serves as a Partner at Planit Ventures Incorporated and chairs Nuvo Assets Incorporated. He is also on the Advisory Board of the D Group, co-chairing its Space Forum. Ian is a former Member of Parliament, serving from 1987 to 2010, and Minister of Science, Space, and Technology from 1994 to 1997. He later chaired the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee and co-chaired the Space Committee.

Chair

Chi Onwurah MP

• Chair, Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
  Chi Onwurah MP serves as the Chair of the Science, Innovation, and Technology Select Committee, a role she has held since September 2024. She is the Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West as well as an officer of the Space All-Party Parliamentary Group. Before entering politics, she had a distinguished engineering career following her graduation from Imperial College in 1987, specialising in infrastructure development and wholesale Ethernet standardisation across multiple countries and roles, culminating in her position as Head of Telecoms Technology at Ofcom.

Venue

Please note that we reserve the right to withdraw registrations. For more information, please contact [email protected].