Paul Tedman Keynote Speaker

Former Commander, UK Space Command
First British General to serve in US Space Command — directing and influencing Western space policy, strategy and plans at the highest level
Author of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review’s space proposition, securing accelerated UK investment in space

Paul Tedman's Biography

Major-General Paul Tedman CBE sits at an intersection few people on earth can claim — space policy, military strategy, and edge technology — and he has shaped all three at the highest levels of global power.

Forged as a Special Forces aviator in the world’s most demanding combat environments, Paul’s career spans three defining firsts: architect and first Commander of the UK’s first Aviation Brigade; the first British General to serve in US Space Command, directing the strategy and policy that shapes how the West competes in space; and Commander of UK Space Command, presiding over a 1000% increase in UK space operations and accelerating the delivery of Britain’s £6bn sovereign space portfolio by assimilating AI, autonomy, and new-space technologies.

As the author of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review’s space proposition, he didn’t just participate in the debate about Britain’s future in space — he won it, securing accelerated investment and cementing space as a cornerstone of UK national security and defence strategy.

He has been in the rooms where governments decide which technologies win. He now brings that authority, insight, and acumen to the boards, investors, and leadership teams who need to know what’s coming — and what it means for them.

Space Policy & European Strategic Autonomy

Paul has shaped Western space strategy at the highest levels of government — as a contributor to the US Space Strategic Review, the author of the UK's 2025 Strategic Defence Review space proposition and as the inaugural British general directing policy and plans at US Space Command. Hear how the decisions being made today will determine whether Europe builds genuine strategic independence in space, or cedes the high ground.

Edge Technology & National Security

From AI-enabled command and control to autonomous systems and new-space constellations, Paul has led the acceleration of edge technologies into live operational service. He offers rare insight into which technologies are genuinely reshaping the character of competition and conflict — and what that means for business, investment, and national resilience.

Government as a Technology Customer

Paul has sat on both sides of the table — leading billion-pound procurement portfolios and working directly with primes, defence-tech startups, and VC-backed innovators. He cuts through the complexity of defence acquisition to explain how governments really evaluate, fund, and adopt advanced capabilities, and what commercial organisations must understand to succeed in this market.

The New Space Economy

Space is no longer a sanctuary — it is a contested, commercially driven, and strategically decisive domain. Drawing on his experience presiding over a 1000% increase in UK space operational output and leading Britain’s £6Bn sovereign space portfolio, Paul maps the forces reshaping the global space economy and the investment opportunities and risks they create.

Leading at the Frontier

From leading Special Forces operations to building the UK’s first Aviation Brigade and standing up UK Space Command, Paul has spent his career building organisations and driving programmes in the most demanding, high-stakes environments on earth — and above it. He shares the leadership principles that deliver transformation when the margin for failure is zero.

He has shaped space strategy, defence policy and military innovation at the highest levels, serving as Commander of UK Space Command and as the first British General embedded within US Space Command.
He translates complex developments across space, artificial intelligence, autonomy and emerging technologies into clear strategic insights that help leaders understand the future competitive landscape.
He has led the integration of cutting-edge technologies into national defence capabilities, overseeing a major expansion of UK space operations and accelerating the delivery of Britain’s sovereign space portfolio.
He brings first-hand experience from the intersection of government, military strategy and technological transformation, offering audiences a rare perspective on how nations assess risk, build capability and secure strategic advantage.
His briefings help boards, investors and leadership teams anticipate geopolitical and technological change, enabling more informed decisions in an increasingly contested and technology-driven world.