Suggestions
Patrick Cusworth
Experienced policy and communications professional
Patrick Cusworth is the Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC).1 He is responsible for handling policy and public affairs queries, as well as working on initiatives to raise the profile of the psychoanalytic profession to the public.1 Cusworth can be contacted at the BPC via phone at +44 (0)20 7561 9240 or by email at [email protected].uk.1
In addition to his role at the BPC, Cusworth has been active in discussing political affairs. In a recent LinkedIn post, he addressed the topic of appointing a Chief Political Officer to company boards, given the numerous elections and political fluctuations expected in 2024.2 This suggests that Cusworth has expertise in both psychoanalytic policy and broader political strategy.
Highlights
A brief article on the election of chairpersons to the newly instigated Select Committees in Parliament. Feel free to get in touch if you would like to discuss. #SelectCommittees #publicaffairs #Parliament
Texas-UK trade deal offers major opportunities for the UK Space sector
Last week’s announcement by SpaceX of the launch of its latest Starship was an auspicious one for the #UKspace sector. Just as the 33-engine powered rocket took flight from SpaceX's base in Boca Chica, Texas, the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, confirmed a new State-level trade agreement with Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch. The agreement (the largest ever agreed between the UK and a US State) offers major opportunities for new cross-Atlantic partnerships, particularly those of space technologies.
At a packed event in London, the Governor extolled the benefits of such potential partnerships and the advantages of working with Texan space businesses: “In Texas, we partner with those businesses, but we are a silent partner. Because when those businesses succeed, Texas succeeds” he said.
Texas, which occupies the top spot among US States for the previous 11 years for total technology exports, is home to NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, and is a major hub for the international aeronautics industry, as well as other innovation sectors. Detailing a meeting two years ago with Elon Musk, who inquired at the possibility of constructing a mile-long gigafactory for the production of Tesla vehicles, having become frustrated with the slow progress of applications and red tape in California, the Governor confirmed that the factory was built in Austin just eighteen months later. Turning to his main theme of future tech partnerships, he continued: “If we can make that happen, the sky is the limit on what can be achieved with British expertise alongside that of our own”.
“There is also a new Space Race to be won, and it isn’t just to the moon or to Mars. This race is against regimes hostile to western values, and to our joint security. We must form stronger partnerships between the UK and the US, and the best way is to strengthen our economic ties. The UK already invests in Texas more than any other State (£18bn in 2023) – as the UK considers the next stage in its Space programme, Texas is ready to be your strategic partner of choice”.
With companies spread across the UK from Bristol to Glasgow, specialising in products and services across the entirety of the Space sector (including designing and manufacturing space hardware and computer systems required to operate spacecraft and other components, data providers and storers, and operators of other in-space products and services), there is a wealth of potential UK partners to support projects to be undertaken by Texan-based organisations including Boeing, Firefly Aerospace and BLUE ORIGIN, as well as #SpaceX.
Following announcement of this latest trade deal, Governor Abbott is keen to help facilitate such partnerships. The door is open for UK industry to respond.
#space #spacetech #spacesector #science #technology #tech #moon #mars #scipol #spacepolicy
