Speaking from Experience

Dr Dave Hughes is a Scottish entrepreneur, engineer, and thought leader in deep technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. His career has been built on taking ideas from the lab to the marketplace, helping bridge the gap between research, product development, and global industry adoption.

Dave speaks regularly at conferences, universities, and industry events, sharing insights on building businesses from research, leading teams through uncertainty, and turning complex technology into real commercial success. His delivery style is open, direct, and grounded in real experience rather than theory.

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Speaking Topics

  • Building a business from academic research

  • The reality of deep tech entrepreneurship

  • Leadership and resilience as a founder

  • Fundraising and investor relationships

  • Manufacturing strategy and scale-up in early-stage companies

  • Scotland’s place in global innovation and digital health

FormatS

  • Keynotes and conference talks

  • Panel discussions

  • Fireside chats and interviews

  • Workshops and masterclasses

  • Television, radio, and podcast commentary

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Previous Engagements

Dave has shared his experience and perspective on innovation at major international stages, from CES in Las Vegas, where he spoke on the future of digital health and wearable technology, to NextRise in Seoul, where he joined global founders and investors discussing the deep tech ecosystem in Asia. He has delivered keynote sessions at the London Stock Exchange, spoken to entrepreneurial cohorts at King’s College London, and regularly contributes to the Scottish entrepreneurial community through flagship events such as EIE, TechTour, Scottish EDGE and the Converge Challenge.

Beyond conferences, Dave is a frequent commentator on technology and entrepreneurship in the media, appearing on programmes including BBC Click and BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland. His contributions bridge the technical and human sides of innovation, drawing on first-hand experience of building teams, scaling technology, and navigating the commercial realities of bringing new ideas to market.

Book Dave

To discuss event bookings, media appearances, or collaboration opportunities, please complete the form here or email dave@differentcircle.com.