Member News

PEM, Cambridge’s largest independent firm of accountants, tax and business advisers, has announced the appointment of Andrew Mason as Partner in their Audit & Accounts team, further expanding the firm’s leadership and deepening their expertise in supporting the region’s dynamic and ambitious businesses.

Space environments present unique sensing challenges. Systems must detect objects ranging from paint flecks to spacecraft components, operate reliably in harsh conditions, and do so with minimal mass and power consumption. mmWave radar addresses these requirements, providing millimetre-scale resolution with practical implementation that suits the realities of space missions. But how does wavelength affect what a sensor can detect?

Space needs to be kept clean, and this is becoming increasingly hard as commercial and defence activities ramp up. The European Space Agency’s recently published Zero Debris Technical Booklet, developed through a collaborative community effort bringing together industrial and institutional perspectives, represents a critical step forward in addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing the orbital environment. However, achieving the ambitious targets outlined in the Zero Debris Charter by 2030 will require not just policy frameworks, but innovative technologies, substantial investment, and honest conversations about the gaps that remain.

Plextek joined organisations from across the UK at the Amex Stadium in Brighton for the TeenTech Festival. The event welcomed 300 Year 8 and 9 students from the region, giving them the chance to take part in hands-on science, engineering, and technology activities designed to broaden their understanding of future career paths.

AI is the new engine for cybercrime. Phishing attacks are now sophisticated, scalable, and highly effective. From deepfakes to voice cloning, distinguishing genuine communication is harder than ever. Learn how to fortify your defences against the new, sophisticated cyber wave.

The hardest part of scaling isn’t ambition or innovation. It’s staying clear, aligned and balanced. Here’s what I’ve seen in the tech companies that grow well and the ones that don’t.

Imagine you are standing in a pitch-black room, firing rubber balls in every direction. Some will hit surfaces that bounce them straight back at you...

Space missions demand sensors that work in brutal conditions. Cameras go blind in direct sunlight or complete darkness, and, as demonstrated in the video below, LiDAR systems confused by dust particles. Radar just keeps going.

Warfare is being redefined. As the UK’s 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) outlines, rapid advances in technology and changing conflict dynamics are transforming both the threat and the way nations need to respond. A new Cyber and Electromagnetic (CyberEM) Command and a commitment of £1 billion to develop a ‘Digital Targeting Web’ to link UK armed forces’ weapon systems underlines this fundamental shift in defence strategy. 

The grounding incident involving the MSC ANTONIA serves as a clear reminder of the critical need for resilient navigation systems in the maritime sector. As GNSS jamming and spoofing become more frequent, particularly in high-risk regions, vessels must be equipped with systems that can maintain accurate positioning even when satellite signals are compromised, explains Freddy Saunders, Senior Data Scientist at Plextek.

With the successful completion of Phase 2 of the mission CLEAR, led by in-orbit servicing company ClearSpace, we are proud to announce our pivotal role in achieving the major technological milestones that bring the mission closer to reality.

As the next era of lunar exploration begins, the tools we use to guide spacecraft and ensure safe landings are becoming just as important as the missions themselves.

Meet Vicky Larmour, a new addition to the Plextek team. Vicky recently joined Plextek as Senior Vice President of Engineering, bringing over 30 years of experience in tech consultancy and leadership. With a strong background in wireless systems and a passion for team engagement, she’s focused on driving innovation while keeping people motivated and supported. Find out more about Vicky below:

Exploring how the integration of 5G/6G technologies with satellite networks is transforming global connectivity through Non-Terrestrial Networks and Direct-to-Device communication.

Richard Jacklin, Commercial Business Development Lead at Plextek, discusses the next frontier in space debris detection state-of-the-art mmWave radar technology  

As industries push the boundaries of global connectivity, the integration of 5G and drive towards 6G with satellite and space-based networks is unlocking new opportunities. Kevin Cobley, an expert in this evolving field, shares his insights on the challenges and innovations shaping the future of non-terrestrial networks (NTN).

Plextek and Texas Instruments: Optimizing mmWave radar capabilities to solve key design challenges

Peel, Stick & Track: BLE Smart Labels feed real-world location and data to cloud applications and AI

In this article Scott Armstrong, Senior Partner at edenseven, outlines the importance of thinking long-term when it comes to integrating sustainability into your business plan, and the three principles companies should follow to ensure this.

In this article, Tom Burton, Partner at Cambridge Management Consulting for Cyber Security, outlines an approach to leveraging Artificial Intelligence which balances its transformative power with safety, security, and authenticity.