Planet Beyond

Feb 26 2025 89 ep. 30 mins 35

Planet Beyond Podcast artwork

Welcome to the Planet Beyond podcast. Brought to you by Fugro, the leading partner in uncovering geo-data from the greatest subsea depths right to outer space and hosted by Jon Baston-Pitt. Planet Beyond is about doing business better in our fast changing, and acutely delicate, yet exquisite, world. Together we will explore issues beyond the day-to-day challenges; listen to those who should be listened to; seek out what needs to be done and get aligned around the new tomorrow our children deserve and that we have a responsibility to deliver.

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Episode 43: The Mental Groundwork of Infrastructure

Feb 26 2025 36 mins

Infrastructure projects transform our world. Our ability to travel and to work, our individual health and our community cohesion, are all built upon the successes of infrastructural engineering. But these projects routinely underperform. They are delivered late, and over budget. Around the world, we consistently see projects delayed by unexpected ground conditions. In this episode,

Short: Dan Smith – A Career with Impact

Feb 12 2025 19 mins

How can you build a career with impact? Dan Smith has a simple rule: ‘Follow your interests—when you look back, it will look like you had a plan’. Dan’s first interest was in cooking, and he started his career as a chef. But when he realised that he would not reach the Michelin-starred heights of...

Episode 42: Samsø’s Community-Led Energy Transition

Jan 29 2025 35 mins

Samsø, a small Danish island, with a population of just 3,700, has revolutionised its energy landscape. Chosen in 1997 by the Danish government as a social innovation project, the Samsø community has since developed wind farms, solar panels and home grown biofuels that have allowed the island to achieve 100% energy independence, powered entirely by...

Short: Jessica Pacifico — Bringing Out the Best in People

Jan 15 2025 26 mins

Throughout her career, Jessica Pacifico has always chosen the hardest path: learning Latin at high school, achieving a master’s degree in chemical engineering, then switching to IP law and studying, initially, in Dutch, a language that she did not, at that time, speak. With a life course like that, some failures are inevitable. But Jessica...

Short: Leon Koning – Rowing for a World Record

Dec 11 2024 20 mins

What does it mean to reach for a dream? 18 months ago Leon Koning, a keen cyclist, got to know Mark Slats. Slats was training to complete 10 Ironman triathlons in 10 days. He needed a training buddy as he prepared, and Leon agreed to help. As they trained, the two decided on their next...

Episode 41: Coral Reefs, Data, and Decision Making

Nov 28 2024 41 mins

A wave of change has swept through the world of coral reef science, as scientists develop new ways to collect, collate and analyse data. The reefs are vital to the health of the planet, and humanity: while they cover only 0.2% of the seafloor, they support at least 25% of marine species. And they play...

Short: Olga Nefedova – Embracing Strategic Curiosity

Nov 13 2024 13 mins

Olga Nefedova’s career has taken her from the oilfields of Western Siberia, and across continents, to the most senior roles of Fugro, via a role at famed management consultants McKinsey. Along the way, she has developed an approach to strategy that fosters a childlike delight in fearless experimentation and the ‘heart filling joy’ of problem...

Episode 40: Community Engagement for a Just Energy Transition

Oct 30 2024 39 mins

We will all bear the brunt of climate change without a rapid transition to renewables. But as we move through the energy transition, communities hosting new power generation facilities will see the landscape around them change. To ensure that the benefits of the energy transition are shared by all, the Scottish government worked with wind...

Short: Helen West’s Ten-Year Career Plans

Oct 16 2024 27 mins

One day, taking a gearbox out of a vehicle in the middle of the night as a 17-year-old apprentice automotive engineer Helen West had a flash of realisation: “I can’t be doing this when I’m 30!” Today, Helen is global director, marine asset integrity, at Fugro. In this episode, she shares how she plans and...

Episode 39: Mapping Italy’s Seagrass for Biodiversity Gain

Sep 25 2024 39 mins

The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) has a 100 year history of mapping the world’s oceans. John Nyberg, technical director, explains how the organisation’s role in understanding our oceans is evolving. Now, rather than just recording ocean depths for mariners, the organisation is setting standards for how we record environmental data. In Italy, this approach is...