Professor Keith Jackson appointed Chair of Digital Catapult

Aaron Blutstein 28 May 2025  

Professor Keith Jackson has been appointed as Digital Catapult’s new Chair. He has succeeded Juergen Maier CBE since May 2025.

A successful entrepreneur and engineering leader, Jackson brings wide ranging experience from industry and academia to Digital Catapult. He co-founded the successful startup business Pi Technology, which grew to provide engine control systems used in millions of vehicles around the world and designed a £10 million industry 4.0 digital manufacturing project for Meggitt, working with IBM and the Innovate UK Catapult Network’s AMRC in Sheffield and MTC in Ansty.

At Meggitt, Jackson developed a digital manufacturing project called M4 that optimised the manufacturing life cycle across supply, outsource, assembly and in service operation. He also conceived a project designing new thermal management systems for next generation aircraft engines and secured a patent for a noise-cancelling, 3D printed engine valve. Other projects included optical sensing and advanced composite manufacturing.

Professor Jackson commented: “It’s an exciting time to join Digital Catapult and I’m looking forward to working with the Board and management team as we drive the practical adoption of deep tech. My range of experiences – as a startup founder and in multinational companies – has given me a distinctive perspective about how best Digital Catapult can support businesses, academia and the UK’s innovation community to drive economic growth and deploy deep tech into the fabric of critical UK industries. I can’t wait to get started!”