Start date: 23rd June 2025

The Project Includes:

Technology & Industry Research: Identify key autonomous technologies and their potential future applications in smart ports, CAVs, mining, and construction. Using desk research and internal catapult capabilities/personnel.

Stakeholder Engagement: Organise and conduct a number of interviews with industry experts, end users, and technology providers to explore future needs and challenges.

Scenario Planning & Future Forecasting: Develop potential future scenarios for Coordinated Autonomy adoption and evaluate their implications. This could be done through an internal future scenario development workshop.

Scenario Validation: Collaborate with internal teams to validate future forecast/scenarios and refine strategic direction.

Roadmap Development: Create a roadmap outlining high-impact opportunities, barriers, and policy or industry recommendations.

Final Deliverable: A foresight report showing the potential of coordinated autonomy and roadmap highlighting requirements for advancing coordinated autonomy and its adoption.

Over the 8 weeks, we hope you will develop your skills and understanding in:

• Foresight & Future Thinking: Applying horizon scanning, scenario creation and trend analysis.

• Industry & Market Analysis: Understanding emerging trends in autonomy adoption across different industries/markets.

• Systems Thinking & Mapping: Identifying interdependencies in autonomous technologies.

• User Research & Stakeholder Engagement: Conducting interviews and synthesising insights.

• Communication & Storytelling: Creating a compelling foresight report and roadmap.

The successful applicant will have the following skills:

Academic requirements: BA/MA (current student or recent graduate) in Service Design, Product Design, Interaction/UX Design, Innovation, Business Strategy, Systems Thinking or related fields.

Other desired requirements:

• Experience in or understanding of foresight research or future forecasting.

• A self-starter with the ability to conduct industry and market research, including stakeholder engagement methods such as interviews, workshops etc. (with support from the UCD team)

• Experience working with real world stakeholders

• Strong analytical and synthesis skills.

• Experience of working as part of research team.

• Good time management.

• Good communication and information presentation skills.

Process details:

• 8 weeks minimum fixed term contract to be agreed with successful candidate

• 5 days holiday to be taken during the placement

How we work….

We strive to create a high trust, high performance and inclusive environment that enables team members to bring their whole selves to work – this helps to create the foundations of an innovation culture. Our shared values are critical to this:

• We care - for our people, our partners, and our planet

• We connect - and engage with people and ideas

• We learn - and grow, as people and as an industry

Underpinning this is our belief in great teams, our combined efforts will always deliver outcomes beyond that of anyone providing we are honest through debate, experiment and reflect, and create shared resolutions in support of our purpose. Live these values, work to our principles, take ownership to deliver, and we are certain you will thrive with us.

This job description set outs the skills and experience we think are needed to be able to perform in this job. However, if you believe you can deliver in this role then we want to hear from you.

Important notice for applicants: We use tools to detect plagiarism and the use of AI or chatbots for applicant answers. If plagiarism, AI use (such as ChatGPT) or similar software are found to have been used in your application you will not be considered for this or future roles within the Satellite Applications Catapult. If you need any additional support during the application process, please do reach out and connect. We also invite you to share feedback via Applied.

At Satellite Applications Catapult, we're committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce. We welcome candidates from all corners of the globe, but due to legal and logistical considerations, we want to be transparent about the potential visa-related challenges that could arise. Our ability to offer sponsorship will depend on the level of interest for our roles and salary level. Unfortunately we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

If you need any additional support during the application process, please do reach out and connect. We also invite you to share feedback via Applied.