Tech and Innovation Summit 2024

Louis Barson

Director for Science, Innovation and Skills, The Institute of Physics

Prior to joining the Institute of Physics, Louis was a senior civil servant leading on technology policy in the industrial strategy, including key emerging technology sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technologies, Robotics and Digital Twins – and catalysing joined-up prioritisation work which led to the 5 Critical Technologies being established.

He is passionate about energy and the climate and has experience leading policy and strategy for the £9bn Homes Decarbonisation portfolio, as well as working on the EU Emissions Trading policy and developing the initial proposal for the Green Investment Bank. He also led early cross-departmental work to re-evaluate the business case for Space Based Solar Power (SBSP).

Louis has a passion for the big questions, and exploring diverse cultural perspectives. Before the civil service, he studied Japanese Philosophy in Tokyo and Kyoto Universities, and is fluent in Japanese. He established and led the DIT/BEIS Aerospace Hub – refocusing the £3.95 Aerospace R&D portfolio to better support international trade. He also developed and led the ‘Innovation is GREAT’ campaign, unlocking investment into the UK innovation system from  large international investors and corporates – as well as working in the UK Space Agency and Intellectual Property Office.

Louis recently completed a BSc in Physics with the Open University, and is working on his Mandarin.

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Carl Ennis

CEO, Siemens GB&I

Carl Ennis is Chief Executive Officer of Siemens for the UK and Ireland. With over 25 years’ experience with Siemens, he has held prominent management positions across the business in the UK and overseas including China where he was responsible for Power Generation Services in Asia Pacific.

An engineer & technologist, he is passionate about making digital transformation work for business, and has worked across industries helping businesses improve productivity, sustainability and resilience.

Carl started his career as an apprentice and is an advocate of the skills and diversity agendas, recognising the need for new and diverse thinking in an ever-changing world. He lends his voice to various councils advocating for the role of technology and industry in solving society’s problems. These include the Government’s Net Zero Council, the Department for International Trade’s Investment Council, German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce and EngineeringUK.

Carl has a Doctorate from Manchester Metropolitan University, is a Chartered Engineer and Visiting Professor of Practice at Newcastle University as well as a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering & Technology. In his spare time he’s a keen cyclist, motorbiker, and loves music.

 

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Helen Ewles

Head of Innovation, Analysis and Public Affairs, Royal Academy of Engineering

Helen has worked on research and innovation policy in the UK for nearly a decade. She is currently the Head of Innovation, Analysis and Public affairs at the Royal Academy of Engineering, where she works with engineers from industry and academia to produce, evidence-based and timely policy advice to inform the environment needed for UK engineering research and innovation to thrive. She has completed two secondments in the civil service, most recently on science and technology strategy in the Cabinet Office. Before moving into policy, she enjoyed working in academia as a molecular microbiologist.

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Ilan Gur

CEO, Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA)

Ilan Gur is the founding CEO of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). Ilan has forged his career managing cutting-edge research and innovation for the benefit of society. 
He previously founded Activate, a US-based non-profit which empowered scientists and engineers to bring groundbreaking research to market. Prior to this, Ilan established two science-based start-ups and served in the first generation of Programme Directors at ARPA-E. 
Ilan obtained a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley

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Spencer Lamb

Chief Commercial Officer, Kao Data

Spencer Lamb | LinkedIn

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Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser

Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Cambridge. ,

Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser is the Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Cambridge.

UKRI brings together the UK’s Research Councils, Innovate UK and Research England, operating with a combined budget of more than £8bn per year.

Prior to this Ottoline Leyser was Director of the Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, an interdisciplinary institute which combines computational modelling with molecular genetics and cell biology in the control of plant growth and development.

Ottoline has a long-term interest in research culture and chaired the Nuffield Council on Bioethics project examining these issues. She has been actively engaged in work aimed at generating a more inclusive, creative and connected culture. She has also worked extensively in science policy, for example serving as Chair of the Royal Society’s Science Policy Expert Advisory Committee, Chair of the Management Committee of the University of Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy, and as a member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology.

She is a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Member of the Leopoldina and EMBO, and an International Member of the US National Academy of Sciences. In 2017 she was appointed DBE for services to plant science, science in society and equality and diversity in science.

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Doug Loewe

CEO, Kao Data

Doug was appointed Kao Data’s CEO in January 2024 to pioneer our next phase of platform expansion across the UK and Europe. Originally hailing from Columbus, Ohio, in the United States, Doug is an accomplished, international business executive, who, for the last 35 years, has built and led numerous high performing teams and businesses within the diverse, global technology industry. Doug has previously held senior positions at a host of respected companies including Macquarie Asset Management (MAM), Virtus, Yondr, Interxion, Rackspace and CompuServe Network Services. This experience is supported by a degree in computer science from Ohio State University, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a director’s course at Harvard Business School. He also serves as a Distinguished Executive in Residence (DEIR) for the University of Chicago, and continues to engage in various mentoring, humanitarian, and philanthropic pursuits with a key focus on technology.

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Tom Newby

Head of the UK Office for Quantum Technologies, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Tom Newby is the Head of the UK Office for Quantum Technologies in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Tom has worked on technology policy and strategy in various roles in the centre of government and Ofcom, the communications regulator. Before his current role he was Head of Spending Strategy in HM Treasury where he delivered the 2021 spending review.

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Cami Rincon

Senior Researcher, The Ada Lovelace Institute

Cami Rincon is a Senior Researcher at the Ada Lovelace Institute. Cami leads Ada's research exploring Immersive Technologies, which seeks to demystify essential terms and concepts, and the perceived benefits, harms, and risks that regulators and policymakers should consider to ensure the protection of communities impacted by immersive tech.

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Agnes Wamagui

Knowledge Transfer Manager - Robotics, Innovate UK Business Connect

Working as a Knowledge Transfer Manager, Agnes’ focus is to help companies identify how they could use robots to improve their business processes and increase the awareness of digital technologies. Where innovation is required, she supports by providing valuable connections, expertise, funding, and investment opportunities. With a background in Computer Science, programming and working with, she uses her applied knowledge of robotics in the robotics and AI industry. She has helped to develop the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Landscape map, which serves as a platform for Robotics and AI organisations to be featured and to showcase their technologies, projects and test facilities, whilst offering the possibility to collaborate and interact with other organisations.

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Gareth Workman

Chief AI Officer, Kainos

Gareth Workman is Chief AI Officer of Kainos, a LSE-listed Digital Services consultancy and Workday partner. Gareth leads the AI strategy for Kainos, working across the business to define goals for success and to harness the benefits of AI for our internal teams, customers and partners. Gareth has over 18 years of experience at Kainos in several technical positions including Principal Architect, CIO and Cloud Practice Director. 

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Dr Christina Yan Zhang

CEO and Founder, The Metaverse Institute

Christina is a metaverse pioneer. She started her master research on the topic in 2006 to develop universities’ international strategies. In 2012, with full scholarship, she completed a PhD in using digital twin in the metaverse to augment the AEC industry.  

Christina is an award-winning business leader with 17 years of experience turning forward-thinking ideas into successful businesses. She was China Director for QS, the world university ranking agency 2013-2020. 

She has sat on 20+ committees for UNESCO, World Bank, Commonwealth, EU, and UK Governments. She is Vice Chair of the UN ITU Metaverse Working Group on Sustainability and Co-chair on Citiverse Task Group. She sits on TechUK’s digital twins board, financial service council, and advisory council for International Science Council.  

She advises UN, governments, investors, corporates to use metaverse, AI for Smart cities, producing the world’s first people centred metaverse strategy Vision 2040. She recently chaired the opening panel for WIPO's summit on IP and Metaverse, addressed UNESCO on metaverse education, UN HLPF on cities.  

Dr. Christina Yan Zhang | LinkedIn

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