What if you could transform any standard bicycle into an e-bike in seconds, then switch back just as easily? That's the concept behind Skarper, a company based in Camden, North London, who have developed a groundbreaking clip-on disc drive system that is changing everything we know about e-bikes.

Skarper co-founder Dr. Alastair Darwood wanted the power of an e-bike without the bulk and expense. But when Skarper was founded in 2020, there were literally no components on the market small enough to fit their vision. The team spent years designing and developing their own ultra-compact speed controller to create some of the smallest, most powerful components in the e-bike industry. The device is small enough to fit in a shoebox, rather than the massive boxes traditional e-bikes require, making the Skarper system much more sustainable than other solutions. Every Skarper sold means one less heavy e-bike manufactured. Plus, Skarper extends the lifespan of bicycles for years, embracing the circular economy by reusing what's already built, and adding only what's needed.

We travel to Skarper’s headquarters in Camden to meet Alastair and COO Uri Meirovich, who show us their sophisticated bike testing rigs, and tell us about how their development partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies brought Formula One-grade engineering rigor to consumer cycling. Alastair also takes us on a short bike ride around North London to demonstrate how riders can switch seamlessly between eco, cruise, and turbo modes using the Skarper app.

Find out more about Skarper here.

Find out more about Arena here.

Your host is Paul Haimes from industrial software company PTC.

Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn and X for updates.

This is an 18Sixty production for PTC. Executive Producer is Jacqui Cook. Location recording by Geoff Marsh. Sound design and editing by Clarissa Maycock. Music by Rowan Bishop.

What if you could build a yacht that combined the speed and efficiency of a racing craft with the grandeur of a floating villa? That was the vision founder Peter Johnstone brought to life when he launched Gunboat in 2002, creating an entirely new category of high-performance cruising catamaran.

Gunboat's twin-hull design provides remarkable stability compared to traditional monohulls, allowing the deck to stay flat and maintain pace even in challenging sea conditions. Carbon fiber is used to construct the catamarans for extreme lightness and exceptional durability that lasts forever. The lightweight design isn’t just about speed, but also sustainability. Lighter boats sail more and motor less. With solar integration, electric systems, and ongoing research into recycled composites and bio-resilient materials, these vessels represent responsible seamanship for the future.

We traveled to Gunboat’s purpose-built shipyard in La Grande-Motte in southern France to meet Rodolphe Cadoret, Marketing Director at Gunboat. Rodolphe walks us through every stage of the building process, from the composite workshop through to assembly, carpentry, and the meticulous painting rooms where flawless metallic finishes emerge. He gives us a full picture of how, supported by PTC partner 4CAD, Gunboat uses digital precision to transform physical performance on the water. PTC's Brian Thompson then joins us to explain how Creo's model-based approach and integrated surfacing capabilities enable Gunboat to accelerate time to market dramatically.

Find out more about Gunboat here.

Find out more about Creo here.

Your host is Paul Haimes from industrial software company PTC.

Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn and X for updates.

This is an 18Sixty production for PTC. Executive Producer is Jacqui Cook. Location recording by Mat Eric Hart. Sound design and editing by Louise Morris. Music by Rowan Bishop.

Space is becoming dangerously crowded. With Goldman Sachs predicting 70,000 low Earth orbit satellites could launch in just the next five years, the risk of catastrophic collisions is escalating rapidly. Unlike cars or planes, satellites have no drivers on board to react in real-time, making precise orbital tracking absolutely essential. Enter ARCA Dynamics, who provide crucial space-based surveillance of orbiting objects.

Discover how ARCA Dynamics uses satellites equipped with advanced cameras to observe other satellites and debris from space, providing crucial "state vectors". These state vectors are mathematical snapshots that pinpoint exactly where objects are and how fast they're moving in space. Unlike ground-based observations that can only track satellites when they pass directly overhead, ARCA's space-based approach offers continuous monitoring with multiple observation opportunities. This helps operators prevent collisions, reduce unnecessary fuel-burning maneuvers, and keep vital services online.

We traveled to ARCA Dynamics' headquarters in Rome, Italy, where co-founder Marco Moriani and his team showed us how they are revolutionizing how we monitor space. They also told us about their groundbreaking plans to integrate AI directly into satellites in the future, eliminating transmission delays and dramatically increasing detection capabilities.

Find out more about ARCA Dynamics here.

Find out more about Creo here.

Your host is Paul Haimes from industrial software company PTC.

Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn and X for updates.

This is an 18Sixty production for PTC. Executive Producer is Jacqui Cook. Location recording by Danny Mitzman. Sound design and editing by Louise Morris. Music by Rowan Bishop.