Plexal

🇫🇷 We've been at the AI Action Summit in Paris and AI Fringe in London this week, represented by Saj Huq and Darren Lewis. 🏃♀️ With some conversations suggesting the push for AI innovation needs speed to seize the opportunity, we recognise that we can't wildly sprint forward without having AI security as a supporting tool to protect against threats and risks. 🗣️ Saj highlights: "The role of initiatives such as the Laboratory for AI Security Research are critical to address and bridge towards a secure and resilient, AI-enabled future for all. “From the work we’re doing to engage with AI security enterprises to the discussions I had in Paris, the role of the startup and SME ecosystem in shaping the future of AI can’t be forgotten." 🗣️ Darren added: "Let’s not fall into the same traps that led to the internet becoming open to threats in the first place as the AI age takes hold." 📰 This position was reinforced just today as the AI Safety Institute was renamed the AI Security Institute to “focus on serious AI risks with security implications." Catch up with this week's activity here 📝 https://lnkd.in/dfVTUzm4 Andrew Roughan | Dave Rowley | James Leeke | Holly Smith | Diane Gilbert | Lucy Coutts | Stuart Nelson | Bernadette M. | William Gurney | Lisa Perkins | Derya Atlas | Ruby Motabhoy | Mary Welton | Rosie C. | Jessica Moffatt-Owen | Mike Blair | HERE EAST | Hub8 | Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park | University of Oxford | The Alan Turing Institute | Queen's University Belfast | #AI | #ArtificialIntelligence | #LASR | #Technology | #AISecurity | #Cyber | #CyberSecurity | #AIActionSummit | #AIFringe

We were honoured to host the London Regional Defence and Security Cluster launch event at Plexal Stratford on Monday 10th February. 🛡️The new London Regional Defence and Security Cluster is a collaboration led by industry and academia with the support of Government and its ministerial departments, such as the MoD and its innovation directorate, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). The London Regional Defence and Security Cluster was officially launched by Professor Rodney Day, London South Bank University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, alongside keynote opening speaker Anita Friend, Head of DASA. 🗣️ The event featured keynote presentations from industry and policy leaders. These included Anita Friend, Head of DASA; Co-Directors of London Tech Bridge Daniel Weil, Royal Navy, and Jeffrey Brewer, US Navy; and John Kite, Deputy Head of Industry Collaboration, MoD. Other contributors included Ralph Wilkins from DASA; Jarryd Braithwaite from Saab UK; James Williams from Telicent; Jacob Cooney from UK Defence and Security Exports, and Tonino Amorelli of QinetiQ. 💡 Russell Gundry, Senior Director at Plexal, stressed that “Innovation clusters must solve customer challenges; create desirable products; attract skilled talent, and secure investment for infrastructure and intellectual property.” 🤝 Hamza Huda, Defence Lead, Plexal added: “By building the relationship between end-user and SME, we can bring novel and emerging capabilities to those who need them most. It is an exciting time for the Defence Tech community.” Read the full takeaways from the event: https://lnkd.in/ekmStVnu Andrew Roughan | Hamza H. | Russell Gundry | Johanne Moreau | Rodney Day | Anita Friend | Daniel Weil | Jeffrey Brewer | John Kite | Ralph Wilkins - Innovation Partner (London) | James W. | Jarryd Braithwaite | Jacob Cooney | Tonino Amorelli | Kush Wadhwa | #defence | #security | #innovation | #clusters | #strategy

Last week, our team had the opportunity to visit Plexal Stratford for the first time after being invited to join the Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR) Hub. It was a fantastic experience working from such an innovative space and immersing ourselves in the vibrant community that Plexal is building. Plexal’s LASR Hub is all about fostering collaboration in #AIsecurity, and we’re excited to connect with like-minded teams and contribute to the conversation. The Plexal Stratford site is truly impressive, and we’re already looking forward to making it a regular part of our work routine. If you’re also involved in AI security and innovation, let’s connect and be part of this growing ecosystem! #AI #CyberSecurity #Innovation #Networking #LASR

🚨 Voting is open for techUK’s National Security Committee and we’re calling on the support of our fellow techUK members to get behind Plexal’s Ruby Motabhoy, Senior Lead for National Security! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ePBypRP3 📋 Ruby heads up Plexal’s innovation team in Manchester, leading nationally on alignment between the UK intelligence community’s regional hubs. Her career with national security began working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre in Cheltenham, a field of work expanding greatly since, requiring collaboration with government, SMEs, academia and investors across a host of projects. 🗣️ Explaining what she'd bring to the techUK National Security Committee if selected, Ruby said: “Having provided deep insight into the UK’s enduring capability through challenges in this sector, this is knowledge that the techUK National Security Committee can draw on to plan activities and interventions that will drive this community forward despite geopolitical uncertainty. “Ultimately, I would serve this committee with a forward-thinking, adaptable and public-minded approach, working with my colleagues to identify whole of society responses to today’s security issues.” 🔑 Plexal has played a key role in transforming the way industry engages with national security. We're proud delivery partners for pioneering initiatives including the SIS Technology Challenge, HMGCC Accelerate and most recently became a partner of the Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR). 🗳️ Voting for the National Security Committee will close at 5pm on Wednesday 19th February, so please make your vote count ahead of time get behind us! https://lnkd.in/ePBypRP3 Andrew Roughan | Saj Huq | Dave Rowley | Monika Radclyffe | Russell Gundry | Jessica Moffatt-Owen | Mike Blair | Hamza H. | Lou-Davina Stouffs | Naia P. | James Leeke | Bruno Sussat | #TechUK | #NationalSecurity | #Innovation | #AI | #CyberSecurity #EmergingTechnologies | #BusinessGrowth | #Startups | #Scaling

Monday 10th February will mark the start of Wellbeing Week at Plexal Stratford, which will be packed with events for members to get stuck into: 🥤Start the week off on the right foot with healthy sodas from Genie on Monday. No added sweeteners, no nasties - just naturally tasty vegan ingredients, packed with antioxidants and vitamins. 🤝 Elevate your leadership skills with the The Thoughtful Learning Company. Join Plexal member Richard Elsey on Tuesday 11th February from 1 - 2pm for a session on building resilience and supporting mental health while managing change. 🩺 Our Chiropractor Discovery Session delivered by The Chiro Collective and Hackney Chiropractic on Wednesday 12th February will offer insights on the spine and nervous system as well as free spinal analysis assessments. 🧘♀️ Turning Stress Into an Ally, led by Richard Buchanan ❉✺❂ from Fellow progress, is an interactive session on Thursday 13th February 12 -1pm. Together we’ll explore how to reframe stress, shift into a high-agency mindset, and develop simple, practical techniques to stay calm, in control, and resilient under pressure. 🍕 Of course, no Wellbeing Week would be complete without a cheese-topped, triangular treat! Members can join us for pizza and drinks on Thursday 13th February 5-7pm to get their nibble on and quench their thirst. 💝 Finally, show yourself some love and end the week with a Valentine's Day delight on Friday 14th February. There's so much to look forward to, we can't wait to begin! Preview the full line-up of upcoming events here and register to attend the sessions 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eY4A7MJr #community | #wellbeing | #coworking | #wellness | #innovation | #mindfulness

We're excited to celebrate Plexal’s Defence Lead, Hamza H., being appointed as Chair of the techUK Defence Research and Technology Forum and as a member of the techUK Defence Board for the next two years! 🎉 Read the full details here 📰 https://lnkd.in/dX8Xmy5N Hamza’s appointment marks a significant milestone for Plexal, reflecting our commitment to driving innovation and collaboration across the defence tech sector. As Forum Chair, Hamza will champion emerging technologies, strengthen SME engagement and help inform policy to advance the UK’s defence tech ecosystem. “I’m grateful for the trust placed in me by fellow members and commit to approaching these responsibilities with dedication and diligence with regards to our sector’s evolving needs and a collaborative spirit that draws on the diverse expertise within our community,” Hamza said. The Defence Board comprises 30 key tech leaders, including representatives from SMEs and major organisations like Airbus Defence and Space, BAE Systems, Google and Palantir. UK Ministry of Defence | Andrew Roughan | Saj Huq | Dave Rowley | Jessica Moffatt-Owen | Mike Blair | Ruby Motabhoy | Tom Webster | James Leeke | #DefenceTech | #Innovation | #Collaboration | #Leadership #NationalSecurity

Drone detectors, small enough to fit inside a pocket or hand, are sought in a new challenge by HMGCC Co-Creation. The team wants to hear from organisations who are developing miniature devices to detect drones. Organisations are being invited to apply if, over a 12-week period, they can develop and demonstrate technology to meet this funded challenge. For more information, see: https://lnkd.in/ePRvXfcc

Our LASR Lates event series premiered in London at Plexal Stratford on the HERE EAST campus last week, assembling an insight-rich panel to discuss the future of AI security as part of our role within the Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR). Read our post-event rundown here 📰 https://lnkd.in/egaQ5xvF (✍️ by Zen Terrelonge) 🎤 With Darren Lewis, Senior Innovation Lead at Plexal, chairing the discussion, you'll find compelling thoughts in our wrap from panellists including: 💡 Angela Cross, UK Sales Director for Central Government and Defence at Dell Technologies 💡 Louise Axon, Research Associate at University of Oxford 💡 Peter Garraghan, CEO and Co-founder, Mindgard 💡 Josh C., Principle Security Researcher at The Alan Turing Institute 🗣️ Opening the night, Plexal CCO Saj Huq said: “We started LASR Lates to build the conversation in the AI security space, which is still forming as it bridges the mature legacy markets such as cyber security together with emerging technologies. “That requires a slightly broader constituency to have the full conversation and drive collaborations. And LASR Lates is one of the tools we’re deploying to bring together the ecosystem and progress the conversation.” If you couldn’t make the LASR Lates London launch, we have good news – we’re going on tour! So, book in and we’ll see you in Manchester for our next event on Wednesday 26th February (https://lnkd.in/ecgWvtb5) and in Cheltenham on Wednesday 5th March (https://lnkd.in/equwrtaw). Andrew Roughan | Dave Rowley | Gavin Poole | James Leeke | Holly Smith | Diane Gilbert | Lucy Coutts | Stuart Nelson | Bernadette M. | William Gurney | Lisa Perkins | Hana Gilbert | Derya Atlas | Mary Welton | Rosie C. | Jessica Moffatt-Owen | Mike Blair | Ruby Motabhoy | Alliah Rust | Queen's University Belfast | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | Hub8 | Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park | #AI | #ArtificialIntelligence | #LASR | #Events | #Technology | #AISecurity | #Cyber | #CyberSecurity

📢 Open call for experts: This is your chance to contribute to groundbreaking research on HAPS and industry applications! Plexal is seeking expert contributions to explore the transformative potential of High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) and their impact on various industries. As part of our ongoing research, we invite specialists from academia, industry and government to share their insights on how innovations in HAPS can drive technological and commercial advancements. How can developments and innovations in HAPS drive impact for industry applications? We’re particularly interested in exploring the following key areas: 👔 Commercial applications: What are the commercial applications of HAPS and how can they be adapted for different industries? 💡 Sector leadership: Who are the key organisations and institutions leading the development of HAPS technologies? 🎨 State of the art: What is the current frontier of HAPS technology and how can these advancements benefit various industry sectors? 💻 Enabling technologies: What innovations and enabling technologies are driving progress in HAPS? 📊 Strategic analysis: What are the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with adopting, using, or developing HAPS capabilities? ⚖️ Technical trade-offs: What are the key technical trade-offs in HAPS and how do they limit or enhance its impact? We welcome contributions from: ✈️ Industry leaders and innovators in aerospace, telecommunications, and related sectors 🔬 Researchers and academics specialising in HAPS, UAVs, satellite communications, and related fields 📜 Policymakers and strategists focused on technology and innovation 👩💻 Technology developers working on enabling capabilities such as AI, sensors and energy solutions Interested experts are invited to submit their insights, case studies, or research papers. Reach out to the Plexal team at connect@plexal.com with "HAPS Research" in the email subject. Interested parties should flag their interest to the team and will be invited to participate via interview or questionnaire. Interviews will take place before Friday 14th February. Join us in shaping the future of HAPS for industry applications. Your expertise and insights will play a crucial role in driving innovation and informing strategic decision-making in this rapidly evolving domain! Bruno Sussat | Lydia Kerin | Ruby Motabhoy | #HAPS | #AI | #Tech | #Innovation | #Sensors | #Aerospace | #Communication

Culture, technology and entrepreneurship collided at Here East yesterday as Remix Summit London landed at our campus in Plexal 🤝 As our second year hosting #REMIXLDN, yesterday's discussions focused on ‘Futures For the Fearless,’ convening a diverse panel of experts to examine transformative ideas shaping the future. In his opening remarks, Here East CEO Gavin Poole underscored exactly what being part of these conversations means to us: “At Here East, we’re always thinking ahead. What’s next? Where are new frontiers appearing in culture and the creative industries? We operate at the intersection of tech and creative business and that’s why events like REMIX are so exciting – we get to explore where the future is going and how we can play a pro-active part.” A huge thank you to all the incredible speakers who delivered fascinating talks at the summit. It was great to see some of our partners across the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and beyond share insights as part of this including #EastBank, Sadler's Wells, BBC, and SXSW London. We look forward to Day 2 of #REMIXLDN at Royal Academy of Arts 👏 Gavin Poole | Michael Magan | Simon Cronshaw | Peter Tullin | Tamsin Ace | Sam Jackson | Robert Jones | Randel Bryan | REMIX Summits - Culture, Tech & Entrepreneurship | Plexal | HERE EAST