Defining the Future: Recent Episodes

Shephard Studio

Welcome to Shephard Studio’s special series on aerospace and defence innovation in the UK, sponsored by our partner Raytheon. Over the course of four episodes, the Defining the Future podcast will tell the story of how innovation fostered by industry is helping the UK step out of the shadow of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. We will hear how emerging technologies are supporting the prosperity agenda developed by the Government to accelerate Britain’s growth in these uncertain times. In particular, the Defining the Future podcast will focus on four key technology areas: training, space, innovation and agile ISR. And we will hear from representatives from across industry about how transformation and cutting-edge technologies designed for the military are beginning to reshape the commercial sector.

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Militaries today operate in a data-rich battlespace.

While they have a range of tools at their disposal to interpret this environment, too often this focuses on one major sensor – for example, a radar on an aircraft.

In the past, this might have been enough. However, the battlespace of today is chaotic, complex, and crowded.

Defence companies are working to overcome this challenge – and embrace the opportunities it presents.

Welcome to this bonus episode of the Defining the Future podcast, Shephard Studio’s series on aerospace and defence innovation, sponsored by our partner Raytheon Intelligence and Space.

In this episode, we speak to Richard Sandifer, Raytheon’s Korea ISTAR Capture Executive.

We consider the military’s need for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities.

In meeting ISTAR needs, defence companies are increasingly taking a multi-intelligence, or Multi-INT, approach.

This brings together various different data sources, ranging from radar to electro-optical infrared sensors, and much more.

A single-sensor solution can sometimes create more problems than it solves, restricting operators to a narrow perspective. By contrast, the Multi-INT concept provides a clearer picture through the combination of different sources.

Raytheon Intelligence & Space is expanding the Multi-INT concept at home and internationally, building on a long history of working in markets such as the UK, as Richard Sandifer explains.

The Defining the Future podcast is brought to you in partnership with Raytheon Technologies - a huge thanks for their support.

The Defining the Future podcast was produced by Tony Skinner, with script assistance by Gerrard Cowan and audio edits and mastering by Kevin Stokes.

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The UK space sector has seen rapid development in recent decades, with a total income of about £15 billion and generating more than 40,000 jobs.

The industry and its government partners have identified significant room for growth in the coming years, fuelled by domestic investment and international programmes.

However, the sector faces a number of challenges.

How can it recruit the people it needs, when there is a widespread shortfall of STEM-focused employees?

How can it support education across the board, from primary level to university students.

And what will be the impact of leaving the European Union?

Welcome to episode two of the Defining the Future podcast, Shephard Studio’s series on aerospace and defence innovation, sponsored by our partner Raytheon UK - a company Invested in Britain, creating British jobs and supporting local communities around the UK.

In this episode, we sit down with the UK Space Agency and representatives from industry to discuss the space sector’s role in the global Britain of the future.

We spoke to Arfan Chaudhry, the UK Space Agency’s head of international policy and Kathy Bowden, Lead for Skills and Careers development at the organisation.

Paul Day, Business Development Executive at Raytheon UK, and Mark Dumville, CEO of GMV NSL, a developer of satellite navigation technologies provided the perspective from industry.

More on the new National Space Innovation Programme can be found here:

The Defining the Future podcast is brought to you in partnership with Raytheon UK - a huge thanks for their support. Thanks also the UK Space Agency and GMV NSL.

This episode was produced by Tony Skinner, with video production by Adam Wakeling, script assistance by Gerrard Cowan, audio edits and mastering by Kevin Stokes, and narration by Denise Hammick.

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The way we work is changing at a tremendous pace.

The Coronavirus pandemic has exposed the need to upskill employees, whose roles were already being disrupted by the rapid evolution of emerging technologies.

According to McKinsey research, automation and AI will force about 14% of the global workforce to switch occupations or acquire new skills over the coming decade.

Almost 90% of executives say they are experiencing skill gaps in the workforce or expect to in a few years - yet fewer than half have a clear sense of how to address the problem.

In this episode of the Defining the Future podcast, we look at this emerging skills gap and hear how industry and the Ministry of Defence is responding.

Our panel of experts explains how the defence sector is helping the UK is look to the future, with the potential to fast-forward the economy beyond the COVID-19 crisis and other challenges, with world-class training solutions.

For many experts, COVID has simply accelerated trends that were already underway. How will the fast development of emerging domains such as synthetic technologies and virtual classrooms impact the military domain? And just how will the Ministry of Defence and armed forces need to evolve to become an employer of choice?

The Defining the Future podcastis brought to you in partnership with Raytheon UK - a company Invested in Britain, creating British jobs and supporting local communities around the UK. Thanks also to Capita, Elbit UK and the University of Lincoln.

The Defining the Future podcast was produced by Tony Skinner, with video production by Adam Wakeling, script assistance by Gerrard Cowan, audio edits and mastering by Kevin Stokes and voice narration by Denise Hammick.

View Details

Welcome to Shephard Studio’s podcast series on aerospace and defence innovation in the UK, sponsored by our partner Raytheon.

Over the course of four episodes, the Defining the Future podcast will tell the story of how innovation fostered by industry is helping the UK step out of the shadow of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.

We will hear how emerging technologies are supporting the prosperity agenda developed by the Government to accelerate Britain’s growth in these uncertain times.

In particular, the Defining the Future podcast will focus on four key technology areas: training, space, innovation and agile ISR.

And we will hear from representatives from across industry about how transformation and cutting-edge technologies designed for the military are beginning to reshape the commercial sector.

The Defining the Future podcast is coming soon, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.