Monday 19 January 2026 5:30pm to 6:45pm
Lecture Room 4, Engineering Dept., Trumpington Road
About
Join us on Wednesday 21st January for an engaging round-table discussion with Mark Thomas, CEO at First Light Fusion, the UK’s Inertial Fusion Energy company. Register for the event here.
Organised by CUETS.
Abstract:
First Light is enabling fusion through its unique amplifier technology, which supports cheaper, simpler, faster pathways to commercial fusion energy and delivers new capabilities for defence and space. This deep-tech company currently employs 80 people in Oxford.
Mark joined First Light in 2025 after nearly a decade growing and leading Reaction Engines Limited, a multi-award-winning UK technology company known for its pioneering developments in space propulsion, hypersonic flight, and the delivery of transformational cooling technology solutions for Formula 1 motorsport and aviation.
Before joining Reaction Engines, Mark spent 22 years in the Defence and Civil Aerospace divisions of Rolls-Royce plc, most notably in Chief Engineer roles. He worked with customers and industry partners worldwide to lead the design, development and support of new military and commercial aeroengines; Mark’s last role with Rolls-Royce was leading the company’s future civil aerospace programmes and technology demonstrators.
Mark is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Aeronautical Society. He graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1993.