Tech Policy Expertise: Emerging technologies (e.g.: quantum, biotech etc)

  • Sandy Tung

    Sandy is the technology and innovation policy lead at City Hall, responsible for developing economic strategy and the role of tech and innovation in boosting London’s growth. She runs Challenge LDN, the Mayor’s open innovation programme, that invites a diverse cohort of innovators to co-design solutions that tackle the capital’s most pressing problems.

    A scientist by training, she built her career around embedding innovation into cities around the world. She’s led smart cities programmes including Sharing Cities, a €24.5 programme that tested and scaled innovative technologies across European cities and was a founding staff member of Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities, working with cities around the world to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Sandy is a Grow London Innovation Fellow and holds a master’s degree in physics from Imperial College London

  • Sabine Jacques

    I explore the intersection of copyright, freedom of expression, cultural diversity, and artificial intelligence. My research and teaching are driven by a passion for understanding how intellectual property law shapes creative industries, technology, and society.

    I am currently looking into licensing models for Generative AI, working on a code of practice on responsible AI and investigating data flows.

  • Saba Shaukat

    Saba Shaukat is a pioneering international business and technology executive with over 25 years of experience. She specialises in leveraging frontier technologies to drive transformative change and has a deep expertise in transitioning FTSE 250 companies into the next wave of growth and profitability.

    Currently, Saba is creating an AI Agency and heads Engagement and Innovation at the Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE), a joint venture between the Home Office and QinetiQ on AI, data analytics, deep fakes, economic crime and emerging technology. She helps the Government in accelerating digital transformation initiatives to drive disruptive innovation and implement policies to enhance security, national resilience, and UK prosperity.

    Previously, Saba was the Group Director of Technical Capability and Innovation at QinetiQ plc, where she led a team of top scientists and engineers. She focused on frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous systems, cyber technologies, immersive augmented reality, human-machine teaming, advanced materials, quantum computing, lasers, and human behaviour.

    Throughout her career, Saba has driven transformational technologies resulting in over £1 billion in new revenue. She has extensive international experience in strategy and commercial development and has held several board positions as a Non-Executive Director and Trustee. She recently became a Board Fellow at the world-wide renowned Royal College of Art(RCA), the leading school in innovation design engineering with the capability to tackle complex challenges faced by society and the planet.

    Saba’s career also includes significant roles at Capita, BT, Vodafone, Deloitte Consulting, and PwC, where she contributed to global market entry strategies, business turnarounds, and new technology ventures for both enterprise and consumer sectors.

    An alumna of Harvard University’s Kennedy School for Executive Leadership Training and the London Business School with an MBA, Saba is a thought leader and board advisor. As a former regional board member of The Prince’s Trust, she has inspired young people from disadvantaged communities to win national entrepreneurial awards.

    Saba is also a contributor to the bestselling book, The Power of Purpose. She is dedicated to embracing disruptive ideas and advancing skills, science, and technology for societal good amid rapid technological change.

    In her spare time, Saba is an avid sailor, traveller, and explorer of new science and technological innovations for the 21st century.

  • Ruvimbo Samanga

    Ruvimbo Samanga is an award-winning African space policy analyst recognised by the International Astronautical Federation, the International Institute of Space Law, and the St. Gallen Symposium.

    With expertise in space law, technology policy, and sustainable development, she has contributed to global initiatives in governance, advocacy, and education, pioneering inclusive frameworks that amplify African leadership in the space sector.

  • Nayana Prakash

    PhD from the Oxford Internet Institute on narratives, tech, and creativity in India; currently a Research Fellow at Chatham House on issues related to tech policy, security and India; interested in the geopolitics of technology in a rapidly shifting world order.

  • Melanie Garson

    Melanie is an Associate Professor in International Security in the Department of Political Science at University College London where she teaches her flagship course “From Cyberwarfare to Robots: The Future of Conflict in the Digital Age” that examines the nexus of disruptive tech and building defence and resilience. She also teaches courses on international negotiation and tech diplomacy, as well as problem-solving for policymaking at HM Treasury.

    She provides practical insights and thought leadership for policymakers across the full spectrum of cyber policy, tech geopolitics, and defence innovation challenges. Having spent four years at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where she set up the cyber policy function, she has advised leaders globally on cyber resilience policy, the geopolitics of the internet, space, AI, and compute, the rise of tech companies as geopolitical actors, data governance as well as the future of defence.

    Melanie is an accredited mediator and prior to joining UCL worked as a solicitor in the International Disputes department of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, covering Public International Law, International Arbitration, and International Corporate Investigations, as well as teaching mediation and negotiation techniques.

  • Maddy Steggall

    Maddy Steggall is a policy and communications professional with experience spanning government, strategic consultancy, and financial services. She is currently Policy Adviser to Kanishka Narayan MP, leading work on AI, startups, and digital economy policy. Her role includes developing initiatives such as the All Hands on Tech campaign and supporting parliamentary and industry engagement on tech and innovation.

    Previously, Maddy worked in strategic communications at Teneo and FTI Consulting, advising clients in technology, financial services, luxury fashion, and climate policy on corporate reputation, public affairs, and media strategy. Earlier in her career, she worked at Société Générale in Paris, supporting corporate communications and translation for the investment bank.

    She is also a member of the Labour Digital committee, helping shape Labour’s tech agenda, and is active in Women in Tech Policy networks.

  • Lucie Caswell

    Lucie is a senior strategist and negotiator, specialising in connecting IP and innovation, copyright and digital music rights affairs. Lucie has negotiated international relations and commercial deals on all ‘sides’ of the stakeholder table. Lucie also leads government policy for the UK’s entertainment retail sector, representing music, video and games.

    Lucie started her music career at iconic, independent music publishers, later spending time focusing on song rights and innovation licensing, going on to bring a range of music services and rights holders into agreement, including for Deezer, Sony/SYCO, Sandbox Game, Singa and Bandcamp.

    Representing at sector level, Lucie is the former CEO of the UK’s performing artist organisation, the FAC, Chief Policy, Rights and Public Affairs Officer for the Music Publishers Association and, is currently Chief Innovation and Government Affairs Officer for the UK’s entertainment retail body, ERA.

    Lucie is a dedicated advocate of equal opportunities and ethical innovation; championing arts as catalyst for change and emancipation.

  • Laveena Iyer

    Laveena is a global technology and telecoms analyst at Economist Intelligence, this is the research and analysis business of The Economist Group. Based in the London office, she delivers industry, geopolitical and macroeconomic insights to clients in the government, corporate and academic sectors. In this role she also oversees client relations and partnerships for corporate clients in India.

    She is a seasoned industry analyst with over a decade of experience and in 2021 Onalytica named her among the industry’s top 10 technology analysts. She is a sought-after public speaker and has presented at conferences in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Her expertise lies in topics such as geopolitics of technology, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, 5G, cybersecurity, digital wallets and sustainability in technology.

    She often shares her comments on industry trends and latest developments with news media such as the BBC, Nikkei Asia, South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera and CNA Singapore. Prior to this role, Laveena covered corporate strategy, start-ups and the tech industry in India as a financial correspondent for a business magazine.

  • Kir Nuthi

    She holds over seven years of Government Affairs and Tech Policy experience in the US and UK. Kir previously headed up the regulatory portfolio at a UK advocacy group for tech startups and held various public affairs in US tech policy. All involved policy research and campaigns on competition, artificial intelligence, access to data, and pro-innovation regulation.

    Kir has an MSc in International Public Policy from University College London and a BA in both Political Science (International Relations) and Economics from the University of California San Diego.

    Outside of techUK, you are likely to find her attempting studies at art galleries, attempting an elusive headstand at yoga, mending and binding books, or chasing her dog Maya around South London’s many parks.