Elaine Livera

As Knowledge Transfer Manager for Space at Innovate UK Business Connect, I support innovative companies in turning their research and ideas into commercially viable products and services, helping to advance the UK’s space technology and capability through collaboration and connection.

I have a background working in both industrial and academic organisations. I hold a PhD in microstructural control in metal additive manufacturing, and I previously worked as a structural engineer at Airbus Defence and Space. There, I worked on large telecommunications satellites, which gave me a deep appreciation for the complexity and importance of space systems.

Space technology underpins many aspects of modern society—from enabling global communications and navigation through GPS, to supporting climate science and Earth observation, disaster response, land use monitoring, and national defence. By helping to drive innovation in the UK space ecosystem, I am committed to ensuring that these technologies continue to benefit people, the planet, and the economy.