INVITATION ONLY
This cross-system dialogue will bring together academics, policymakers, and entrepreneurs working in defence and national security technologies to explore how innovation can better translate into real-world impact. Led by Alex Van Someren FREng, former UK Chief Scientific Adviser for National Security, the session will draw on his cross-sector experience spanning deep tech entrepreneurship, venture capital, and government advisory.
Whether you are an academic developing research, shaping policy as a civil servant, or building a startup, this session is designed to help you understand how your work fits within wider national security priorities and how to build stronger cross-sector collaboration. Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance so the session discussions can be shaped in advance by your challenges and goals.
What you can expect to cover
- Defence and national and security
- Translating research and innovation into real-world solutions
- Navigating dual-use technologies across academia, industry, and government (e.g. AI, cryptography, quantum technologies, semiconductors, robotics and autonomous systems)
- Policy and investment pathways supporting deep tech
- Discussion points requested by you
You’ll gain
- Practical insights on aligning your work with national security and innovation priorities
- Increased confidence in engaging across academia, policy, and industry
- New perspectives on collaboration and support in the defence and technology ecosystem
Accessibility
It is very important to the Royal Academy of Engineering that our events are accessible to all. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact Kirsty Chishti at your earliest convenience so that necessary arrangements can be made.
Diversity monitoring form
The Academy is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and one of our goals is to develop an engineering community fit for the future. To help us achieve this, we would like to collect some basic anonymous data about the event attendees. If you would like to help, please complete the diversity monitoring form by logging into your user account on our website and completing ‘Update my D&I data’.
Alex van Someren FREng
Alex van Someren was appointed Chief Scientific Adviser for National Security in July 2021. Alex was previously a venture capital investor and entrepreneur, focusing on investing in early stage ‘deep technology’ startups. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, an Honorary Professor of Computer Science at the University of Manchester, and a current member of the Royal Society’s Science, Industry and Translation Committee. During 2019 he was the Visiting Clore Innovation Professor at the Royal College of Art. Alex participated in the development of the BBC Microcomputer & Acorn Electron at Acorn Computer in the 1980s. He subsequently co-founded several technology companies, including ANT Software plc and nCipher plc which achieved listings on AIM and the London Stock Exchange, respectively. Alex’s scientific work is in the broad area of software engineering and computer science.
About the Experts in Dialogue series
Experts in Dialogue is a series of intimate online meetings connecting Academy Fellows and members of the Awardee Excellence Community around a shared theme.
Each session brings together one Fellow and a small group of up to six awardees for a 90-minute conversation. This allows Community members and Fellows to engage in meaningful dialogue, share insights and learn from each other.
Are you a member of the Awardee Excellence Community? Log in to the Awardees' Area to find out more about Experts in Dialogue including other events in the series and past programmes.