Director of Innovations and Impact
BAS Science Strategy Executive Group, Information Services team, Leadership teams, UK Polar Data Centre team, BAS Executive team
Our mission is to create space for collaboration within the British Antarctic Survey – addressing issues of global importance and helping society adapt to a changing world.. The Aurora Innovation Centre offers a space and support services for interdisciplinary collaboration to tackle environmental challenges and increase real-world benefit of polar research. Our aim is to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet, and contribute to looking for solutions for a Net Zero Carbon future. We host and hire out the Innovation Centre for various events and partners, read more below.
Book individual flexible desk space in our Collaboration Space at Aurora and gain valuable networking opportunities to broad scientific expertise and like-minded people. Aurora Members receive reductions on venue hire within BAS. To find out more please email us here.
We build partnerships with individuals, academics and businesses who share our values, and whose expertise and interests complement ours. Jointly we aim to address issues of global importance, helping society adapt to a changing world. Working in interdisciplinary partnerships and drawing on the expertise across our UK Research and Innovation family, such as Innovate UK and its programmes including the Knowledge Transfer Network and Innovate UK EDGE, strengthens our impact potential. Our partners are global, national and local. From groundwater monitoring in Morocco to high resolution climate modelling in the Himalayas, from fisheries management in Brazil to understanding arctic sea ice loss, polar expertise is relevant from north to south, from east to west. Our polar operations provide a testbed for innovation under extreme conditions, whilst our understanding of polar biodiversity contributes to a sustainable bioeconomy. We are keen to talk to you and explore how our expertise can add benefit to your work. To find out more please email us here.
The Aurora Conference Theatre, seminar rooms, meeting rooms and collaboration space can be hired by external organisations who share our passion for the environment. To find out more about working collaboratively with BAS, or if you would like to use our spaces, please explore our venue hire pages or email us here.

Matterport instruction bar for VR360 files
Non-discrimination: The Aurora is a space for all, no matter your identity. Discrimination on grounds of age, sex, race, religious beliefs, gender identity or sexual orientation has no place at British Antarctic Survey. Remember this when interacting with others. It is our responsibility to make sure the Aurora is a safe place for everyone – please tell us if you are worried about anything.
Accessibility information: The Aurora Centre has step-free access and accessible toilets at both levels of the building. The Conference Theatre and rooms are equipped with infrared assisted hearing. We are always striving to make our venue more welcoming to all. If you have any feedback or would like to request additional information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
The Aurora Innovation Centre is located at the British Antarctic Survey HQs in Cambridge. We are located a few minutes walk from Madingley Road free P&R with 4 electric vehicle bays, very easy access from the M11, and a bus service in/out of the city centre/train station. For Cambridge-based visitors, cycling is by far the easiest access option.
Director of Innovations and Impact
BAS Science Strategy Executive Group, Information Services team, Leadership teams, UK Polar Data Centre team, BAS Executive team
Impact Facilitator
We hire out our state-of-the-art conference and meeting facilities and exhibition spaces.
The Aurora Collaboration Space at British Antarctic Survey is a coworking space for members who share our passion for the environment.
CACHE-ITN pushed forward our understanding of calcium production in warmer more acidic marine environments.
We are working on a raft of measures to reduce our carbon emissions at our Cambridge Headquarters, including installation of solar panels on the car park and roofs of buildings, and adding insulation to our Logistics building.
This collaborative project is born from exploring novel ways of visualising environmental data and telling the climate change story. Read more about the project and the science behind it through the project page.
Dynamic Live Cell Imaging investigated how Antarctic marine organisms, particularly fish, function at temperatures below 0°C
EMBRC is a group of leading European marine research centres, which is also known as a distributed Research Infrastructure. It provides access to European coastal seas and the endemic fauna, with the addition of Antarctica via BAS.
This project investigated plastic pollution across Arctic and Antarctic environments. Scientists collected water, ice, and sediment samples to quantify macro and microplastic pollution, track its sources, and assess its impact on polar wildlife.
This project monitors plastics and debris in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic ecosystems, tracking impacts on seabirds, marine mammals, and coastal environments.
IceNet is a deep learning system that forecasts Arctic sea ice. The system is trained on climate simulations and observational data. It outperforms state-of-the-art dynamical models, especially for extreme sea ice events.
Polar View delivers information about sea ice direct to ships operating in the Southern Ocean.
In this collaboration with the Natural History Museum (NHM) and the University of Liverpool, we have developed novel methods for using existing data to contribute to marine conservation and fisheries […]
This project investigated whether Mortierella, a cold-tolerant Antarctic soil fungus, could replace banned chemical pesticides in controlling weevil larvae that damage UK soft fruit and forestry crops.
Soon after I started Camrosh Ltd, an innovation strategy consultancy, in late 2014, it became clear to me that despite having taken every effort to set up a comfortable office […]
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has precautionary measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. Our organisation continues to function well in spite of most of our staff working from home. Science and support teams who have completed summer fieldwork are currently being repatriated to UK.
The new Aurora Innovation Centre that will support cross-discipline research to tackle environmental challenges and increase the real-world benefit of polar research was officially opened today (Friday 21 July) by […]
Aurora Innovation Centre
Jo Johnson talks to BAS engineer about unmanned airborne vehicles
Aurora Innovation Centre
Inside Aurora