As we come to the end of 2025, we want to begin the celebrations early and highlight that four Plexal team members have successfully been chosen to join various techUK boards and committees over the past 12 months, allowing us to fly the flag for innovation.
Why is this important to us? Plexal unites startups, government, industry and academia to close the gap between sectors and turn innovation into growth, resilience and societal progress for the UK.
And with a presence on techUK boards, we’re regularly engaging in dialogue with sector-specific SMEs and large organisations to champion their industry interests and create supportive policies.
Get to know our techUK representatives below to understand Plexal’s breadth of expertise and our team members’ individual specialisms.
DEFENCE
Hamza Huda, Senior Lead for Defence at Plexal – Chair of the Defence Research & Technology Forum
A core function of our work at Plexal is enabling digital sovereignty to reduce dependency on foreign technology and strengthen UK defences. And techUK’s Defence Programme is designed to help the UK’s defence technology sector operate in alignment with Ministry of Defence (MOD) objectives.
The programme includes a Defence Board featuring representatives from five SMEs and 25 larger organisations – such as Airbus Defence and Space and BAE Systems – which addresses opportunities and concerns. Elsewhere, programme forums focus on specific defence areas of interest to key government stakeholders and industry alike, taking shape through briefings, webinars and other engagements.
Plexal’s Hamza Huda is a member of the Defence Board and Chair of the Defence Research & Technology Forum position. “I have a comprehensive understanding of SMEs’ journeys and their procurement routes into MOD and we have strong relationships with Commercial X, jHUB, DASA, DIANA and the Futures Lab as well as other testing facilities such as the Battle Lab,” he explains.
“Through our defence-focused programmes and accelerators, we support multiple SMEs in presenting their products to MOD stakeholders, ensuring they develop and scale technologies aligned with requirements.”
NATIONAL SECURITY
Ruby Motabhoy, Senior Lead for National Security at Plexal – Vice Chair of the National Security Committee
Through Plexal’s delivery of initiatives to strengthen the UK’s technology and innovation base, we’re creating the conditions to close critical capability gaps that can ensure national resilience.
So when nominations and voting for the techUK National Security Committee took place and saw a record number of techUK members stand for election, we were delighted Plexal’s Ruby Motabhoy secured the position of Vice-Chair.
Representatives of the National Security Committee include five SMEs and 18 large companies – three more organisations than intended, based on the heightened interest. The committee brings together a broad range of leaders from the national security sector to assess which emerging technologies can be leveraged against national security threats, market engagement and policy activities.
“Through cross-sector collaboration with secure government partners, SMEs, academia and investors, my experience in the national security community spans technical research, proofs of concept and accelerator programmes alongside design and development of problem books, cyber principles and technology assurance strategies,” says Ruby.
“I’m excited to serve the National Security 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.”
CYBER RESILIENCE
Diane Gilbert, Senior Lead for Programmes at Plexal – Cyber SME Forum Chair
Working with the likes of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, we’re delivering programmes such as Cyber Runway with focus areas including critical national infrastructure (CNI) – as reported by UKAuthority. We do this with the knowledge that cross-sector collaboration can deliver unique, high-impact outcomes and, in the case of Cyber Runway CNI, that means SMEs will have access to CNI buyers, while CNI peers will receive innovation discovery.
Cyber security has been a cornerstone of Plexal programmes since 2018, so it’s fitting that our very own Diane Gilbert was selected for the techUK Cyber Resilience Programme and secured the post of Cyber SME Forum Chair.
The forum allows members to further their development within the cyber security sector, connect with potential collaborators and presents openings for engagement with key government and industry stakeholders, such as the National Cyber Security Centre and the UK Cyber Security Council.
“I’ve worked with over 300 cyber security SMEs, gaining deep insight into their business and individual challenges,” says Diane. “As Chair of the techUK Cyber SME Forum, my focus is to amplify SME voices, ensuring their ideas, feedback and problems are heard and supported.”
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
Dr. Melina Beykou, Technology and Product Consultant at Plexal – Emerging Tech Leadership Committee
The UK’s adoption and innovation of new technologies can drive economic growth for the country, while simultaneously enhancing our security and standard of living – this is the lens through which Plexal views our ecosystem.
Therefore, we were thrilled Dr. Melina Beykou was selected to represent Plexal on techUK’s Emerging Tech Leadership Committee, which was convened to empower the UK technology sector with the tools, insights and expertise necessary to ensure future British leadership in emerging, converging and exponential technologies.
The committee is formed of representatives from 35 innovative tech companies to seize the opportunity of breakthroughs in emerging technologies such as AI, quantum, robotics and semiconductors– seeking to transform industries and unlock a new wave of economic and societal value for the UK.
“In my role at Plexal, I engage closely with founders, industry leaders and government stakeholders to evaluate emerging and converging technologies with a particular focus on dual-use applications that strengthen national security and defence resilience,” says Melina.
“Through the Emerging Tech Leadership Committee, I bring a technology-literate perspective to sector trends, supporting thought leadership and policy recommendations grounded in how these technologies perform post-deployment. Plexal’s innovation ecosystem allows me to maintain hands-on exposure to technical developments, which I’m pleased to extend further through collaboration with the committee’s external partners.”
