Future Visions: Exploring What's Next for XR Technology
Alex Counsell
CCIXR / University of Portsmouth
Technical Director
My areas of expertise lie in Extended Realities (XR) and cover areas ranging from Motion Capture and Visual Effects (VFX) through to Virtual Production. I am very driven and passionate about how technology has the potential to be applied over many different fields, particularly in new and emerging sectors. I am actively engaged in a wide range of commercial and research projects that explore this.
My current role at the University of Portsmouth is Technical Director for the Centre for Creative and Immersive & eXtended Realities (CCIXR) which is a centre that enables access to cutting edge facilities that explore new production and delivery methods, and opened its doors in May 2022. The ethos of the centre is to engage in cutting edge commercial and Research & Innovation (R&I) projects that inform new workflows and methodologies. A key aspect of this is developing a new talent pipeline, and to achieve this we regularly employ our students. This way they can develop and apply their skills in a true industry context whilst engaged in their studies. Graduates from the centre now work all over the world at companies such as Vicon, the Imaginarium Studios, Weta Digital, ILM, MPC, Framestore and Rockstar Games.
Alex Counsell
CCIXR / University of Portsmouth
Technical Director
My areas of expertise lie in Extended Realities (XR) and cover areas ranging from Motion Capture and Visual Effects (VFX) through to Virtual Production. I am very driven and passionate about how technology has the potential to be applied over many different fields, particularly in new and emerging sectors. I am actively engaged in a wide range of commercial and research projects that explore this.
My current role at the University of Portsmouth is Technical Director for the Centre for Creative and Immersive & eXtended Realities (CCIXR) which is a centre that enables access to cutting edge facilities that explore new production and delivery methods, and opened its doors in May 2022. The ethos of the centre is to engage in cutting edge commercial and Research & Innovation (R&I) projects that inform new workflows and methodologies. A key aspect of this is developing a new talent pipeline, and to achieve this we regularly employ our students. This way they can develop and apply their skills in a true industry context whilst engaged in their studies. Graduates from the centre now work all over the world at companies such as Vicon, the Imaginarium Studios, Weta Digital, ILM, MPC, Framestore and Rockstar Games.
Opening Keynote
Asha Easton
Innovate UK
Innovate UK Immersive Tech Network
Asha Easton is currently leading the Innovate UK Immersive Tech Network, the UK government's cross-sector network for spatial computing / XR tech innovators. She has spent the past 6 years working to scale the sector in the UK. She works at the intersection of industry, academia, and government to make the UK's XR ecosystem less fragmented. Her work spans across all sectors that use XR technology, including but not limited to; creative industries, health, manufacturing, AEC, transport, etc. Asha is also the co-founder of the XR Diversity Initiative, an organization which has been working to up-skill people from underrepresented backgrounds with XR skills since 2016 ,and is currently advising on ED&I strategy for the Arts Council & AHRC funded 'Immersive Artists' program. Asha is also an advisor to a wide range of startups, organisations, and funders. She has been actively involved in Open Metaverse startups since 2019, and is the currently a Venture Fellow at the first European focused spatial computing fund, FOV Ventures. She is regularly called upon to contribute as an industry expert for policy initiatives both nationally and internationally including the UK parliament's APPG on Metaverse & Web3, and the OECD Global Forum on Technology. She is invited to speak regularly at events around the world including London Tech Week, CogX, LEAP, SXSW, AWE, Cannes Film Festival, Laval Virtual, etc.
Asha Easton
Innovate UK
Innovate UK Immersive Tech Network
Asha Easton is currently leading the Innovate UK Immersive Tech Network, the UK government's cross-sector network for spatial computing / XR tech innovators. She has spent the past 6 years working to scale the sector in the UK. She works at the intersection of industry, academia, and government to make the UK's XR ecosystem less fragmented. Her work spans across all sectors that use XR technology, including but not limited to; creative industries, health, manufacturing, AEC, transport, etc. Asha is also the co-founder of the XR Diversity Initiative, an organization which has been working to up-skill people from underrepresented backgrounds with XR skills since 2016 ,and is currently advising on ED&I strategy for the Arts Council & AHRC funded 'Immersive Artists' program. Asha is also an advisor to a wide range of startups, organisations, and funders. She has been actively involved in Open Metaverse startups since 2019, and is the currently a Venture Fellow at the first European focused spatial computing fund, FOV Ventures. She is regularly called upon to contribute as an industry expert for policy initiatives both nationally and internationally including the UK parliament's APPG on Metaverse & Web3, and the OECD Global Forum on Technology. She is invited to speak regularly at events around the world including London Tech Week, CogX, LEAP, SXSW, AWE, Cannes Film Festival, Laval Virtual, etc.
Threat Landscape in XR: Protecting Virtual and Augmented Spaces
Andy Fawkes
Thinke Company Ltd
Simulation and Training Consultant
Simulation & training consultant, Military Simulation & Training Special Correspondent, and Co-author of "The Military Metaverse," with extensive expertise in simulation and immersive training technologies. I am serving as the Co-chair for NATO's MSG-234 (Training Data) group and editor at simulation.news. Recently, I have conducted studies for Dstl and the Home Office focusing on XR standards, data management, and security. I am a chartered mechanical engineer by background and have worked in both the MoD and industry.
Andy Fawkes
Thinke Company Ltd
Simulation and Training Consultant
Simulation & training consultant, Military Simulation & Training Special Correspondent, and Co-author of "The Military Metaverse," with extensive expertise in simulation and immersive training technologies. I am serving as the Co-chair for NATO's MSG-234 (Training Data) group and editor at simulation.news. Recently, I have conducted studies for Dstl and the Home Office focusing on XR standards, data management, and security. I am a chartered mechanical engineer by background and have worked in both the MoD and industry.
Enhancing Situational Awareness in Command and Control (C2) with Extended Reality
Paul Forrest
PAULEY
Head Of AI
Paul Forrest
PAULEY
Head Of AI
Enhancing Situational Awareness in Command and Control (C2) with Extended Reality
Rob Goldsmith
Devon and Cornwall Police
Geo Manager
Rob manages a team of geospatial practitioners who provide location intelligence to specialist Officers and staff. His current projects involve the utilisation of 3D data from devices such as lidar scanners and aerial photogrammetry. Rob has twenty years' experience in the police and is a chartered GIS specialist through the Royal Geospatial Society.
Rob Goldsmith
Devon and Cornwall Police
Geo Manager
Rob manages a team of geospatial practitioners who provide location intelligence to specialist Officers and staff. His current projects involve the utilisation of 3D data from devices such as lidar scanners and aerial photogrammetry. Rob has twenty years' experience in the police and is a chartered GIS specialist through the Royal Geospatial Society.
Threat Landscape in XR: Protecting Virtual and Augmented Spaces
Andrew Gordon
Waterfront Law
Partner / Head of Corporate and Commercial
Andrew Gordon
Waterfront Law
Partner / Head of Corporate and Commercial
Future Visions: Exploring What's Next for XR Technology
Jill Owens
HIN South London
National Programme Manager
Jillian is National Programme Manager for the Mindset-XR Innovation Support Programme. An Innovate UK funded funded opportunity to develop the extended reality for mental health sector, and support innovators to access the healthcare market and improve patient outcomes.
Jill Owens
HIN South London
National Programme Manager
Jillian is National Programme Manager for the Mindset-XR Innovation Support Programme. An Innovate UK funded funded opportunity to develop the extended reality for mental health sector, and support innovators to access the healthcare market and improve patient outcomes.
Threat Landscape in XR: Protecting Virtual and Augmented Spaces
Leigh Porter
Roke
Managing Consultant
An innovator and respected tech thought leader, Leigh has played a pivotal role in shaping the modern digital landscape. With a career spanning the design, deployment, and operation of global IP and satellite networks, he was instrumental in building the UK's first commercial 4G network. Since the early days of the Internet, he has engaged with complex intersections between IP, Law Enforcement, and technical capabilities. Unapologetically technical and endlessly curious, Leigh is known for turning vision into reality. Outside the tech world, he serves as a committed Scout leader, driven by a passion for social justice, equity, and outdoor education - championing inclusive experiences for young people from inner-city London housing estates.
Leigh Porter
Roke
Managing Consultant
An innovator and respected tech thought leader, Leigh has played a pivotal role in shaping the modern digital landscape. With a career spanning the design, deployment, and operation of global IP and satellite networks, he was instrumental in building the UK's first commercial 4G network. Since the early days of the Internet, he has engaged with complex intersections between IP, Law Enforcement, and technical capabilities. Unapologetically technical and endlessly curious, Leigh is known for turning vision into reality. Outside the tech world, he serves as a committed Scout leader, driven by a passion for social justice, equity, and outdoor education - championing inclusive experiences for young people from inner-city London housing estates.
Enhancing Situational Awareness in Command and Control (C2) with Extended Reality
Matthew Ratcliffe
MR Consulting
Immersive Expert
An ex Defence tech startup founder who ran the 4 year Digital Bird Table programme that provided immersive wargaming tables for C2 British Army activity working with HQ 1 (UK) Div and 12 Armoured Brigade Combat Team. I have over 20 years experience with digital twins and 10+ in immersive technologies taking real products to live exercise in both the UK and US. I have a passion for computer vision, general AI and how these overlap with immersive technology. We are on the cusp of a new era of computing! https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-ratcliffe-7672658/
Matthew Ratcliffe
MR Consulting
Immersive Expert
An ex Defence tech startup founder who ran the 4 year Digital Bird Table programme that provided immersive wargaming tables for C2 British Army activity working with HQ 1 (UK) Div and 12 Armoured Brigade Combat Team. I have over 20 years experience with digital twins and 10+ in immersive technologies taking real products to live exercise in both the UK and US. I have a passion for computer vision, general AI and how these overlap with immersive technology. We are on the cusp of a new era of computing! https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-ratcliffe-7672658/
Future Visions: Exploring What's Next for XR Technology
Pallavi Sarkar
Varjo
Area Manager (UK, I and PAC)
With over a decade of experience in emerging technologies, background in capturing and now fully committed to driving the adoption of VR/XR for simulation training by helping defence and military organisations harness immersive tech for advanced training solutions.
Pallavi Sarkar
Varjo
Area Manager (UK, I and PAC)
With over a decade of experience in emerging technologies, background in capturing and now fully committed to driving the adoption of VR/XR for simulation training by helping defence and military organisations harness immersive tech for advanced training solutions.