Intelligent Defence: AI for Defence, Industry, and Society
Join us for an evening at the intersection of frontier technology, national security, and societal impact. Intelligent Defence: AI for Defence, Industry, and Society brings together leading voices to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming defence capabilities, strengthening critical industries, and reshaping the way society operates in an era of accelerating technological change.
SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT:
🌟 ERICA DILL-RUSSELL
Erica is Chief Commercial Officer at Kraken Technology, a company producing resilient unmanned surface vessels in Fareham, U.K. She leads global sales for Kraken’s four areas of focus: Platforms, Software, Research & Development, and Payload Integrations. Kraken Technology operates worldwide and is rapidly scaling in both platform development and personnel.
Over the past five years, Erica has focused on novel technologies for Special Operations Forces and on multinational technical experimentation and demonstration activities. A former Army officer, she is also an endurance athlete in her spare time.
Maxime is Co-Founder of TX2CAD, an AI-powered CAD copilot designed to streamline workflows for mechanical engineers. He recently completed a Master’s in AI Applications and Innovation at Imperial College, where his research focused on efficient computation methods for sequence models and included projects in IoT, robotics, and climate change.
Maxime combines a strong technical foundation with a focus on developing practical, high-impact AI tools that address real-world engineering challenges.
🌟 RUPERT SHUTE
Rupert is Professor of Practice in Emerging Technology Governance and Regulation at Imperial College London. He also provides advisory services to deep tech start-ups and established companies, particularly those serving the defence and security sector.
Before entering academia, he held senior government roles, including CEO of the Forensic Science Regulator and Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser to the Home Office.
A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering & Technology, Rupert has developed robotics and artificial intelligence systems for high-consequence applications. He remains active in AI research, standards development, and ecosystem building.
🌟 KARANDEEP SINGH LANGFORD BHOGAL
Karandeep Bhogal is transitioning into the role of CEO at NVISIQ, a company developing high-resolution, long-range 3D vision systems that enable autonomy in any environment. NVISIQ emerged from his time as Entrepreneur in Residence at Oxford Science Enterprises. He brings over 13 years of experience in engineering and product leadership across the automotive and battery materials sectors, with deep expertise in technical delivery, organisational growth, and operational scaling.
Before OSE, Karandeep served as Chief Programmes Officer at Nexeon, a deep-tech company creating energy-dense materials for lithium-ion batteries. There, he helped scale global operations, secured a first commercial supply contract with Panasonic, and supported a $170 million Series D fundraise. Earlier, as part of the early leadership team at Arrival, he contributed to the company’s growth to a $13 billion NASDAQ listing, the largest in UK tech startup history. His career began in engineering and delivery roles at Jaguar Land Rover.
He holds an MEng in Aeronautical Engineering and a Diploma in Industrial Studies from Loughborough University.
🚀 JUPITER LUCAS - moderator
Jupiter is the co-founder of Critical Mass, a deep tech and dual-use community in London. He also runs JLB Labs, advising deep tech companies on growth, product, and AI strategy. Previously, he founded District Technologies (2017–2022), a proptech smart building tenant engagement platform, which successfully exited in 2022.
Powered by Techspace
Techspace is a flexible office provider (from hotdesks to private offices) for some of the most innovative and ambitious tech companies. Its 8 locations across London and Berlin have become home to a growing European community of 3,500+ members, 75 tech teams and stunning event spaces ready for hire.
Every year, Techspace designs key events to support growing tech teams and its employees – giving members and its wider ecosystem access to important topics across Ops, People, Growth, Tech and Fundraising, down to essential conversations like Mothers at Work and Mental Health.
Subscribe to their newsletter here for future invites
Limited spaces. Registration required to attend and see venue address.
Concession Rates: A nominal ticket fee is charged to cover refreshments and help confirm attendance. If the cost of a ticket poses a barrier, please contact us directly to request a complimentary ticket.