Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd.

Ian Jones is the founder, owner and CEO of Goonhilly Earth Station in Helston, Cornwall. He is a highly experienced entrepreneur and innovator especially in the field of satellite communication systems engineering. Ian has been involved in leading many design and operational deployment projects in the digital satellite communications field. His founding vision for Goonhilly was to create a multi-faceted space hub to serve customers in Britain’s emerging commercial space economy, to help grow the local economy and to broaden it so that international participation would occur.

Goonhilly is the oldest and probably the most famous satellite earth station in the world, being involved in the first trans-Atlantic TV broadcast in 1962. Ian’s company acquired the site from BT in 2013 and is developing a wide ranging space science centre, including commercial satellite communications, deep space communications, earth observation satellite tracking, radio astronomy, a visitor, training and education centre and data centre services.

The promotion of science, technology, engineering and maths is a particular interest for Ian through links in the space industry, and he has worked on a wide range of projects to engage with young people and encourage them to be interested in these subjects.

Ian is also the founder, managing director and owner of Orbit Research Ltd, which operates an advanced satellite internet platform (working with Telesat, Eutelsat, Skylogic and other satellite operators) to develop value-added products and services for Telemedicine, Events, IPTV Streaming, Construction and Emergency Communication.

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