Inside R&D: Innovation Explained - series 3

Inside R&D: Innovation Explained is your front-row seat to the future of technology in media, brought to you by the BBC’s pioneering Research & Development team. This podcast unpacks the cutting-edge innovations shaping how we create, consume, and interact with media, offering listeners a rare glimpse behind the scenes of one of the world’s most respected public broadcasters. Hosted by Joseph Turner, each episode is driven by his passion for amplifying the voices of the engineers and visionaries pushing boundaries in the industry.

Should the BBC empower the creator economy? Can AI contribute to public value? How does R&D elevate a concept to become industry standard? Everything you can expect from the future of media and technology is explored in this third series of Inside R&D. Links to follow the series on other platforms are at the end of the page.

Episode 1: Will technology and culture shape the BBC’s future? Why empowered creators are key to innovation

Why supporting the creator economy is so important.

Manon Dave, creative technologist and leader of BBC R&D’s new FWD team, joins us to introduce their mission and mindset. He discusses the importance of supporting the creator economy and why it will be an essential part of the BBC’s public service remit. From “TV moments” in a fragmented landscape to exploring how AI can meaningfully augment creative workflows, and unpack true innovation, we examine how BBC FWD is shaping fresh opportunities for storytellers, and what it takes to build a future where technology elevates creativity rather than replaces it.

Episode 2: Does AI research contribute to public value? Why the BBC must be part of the conversation

What is the strategic and cultural role of AI research within public service?

Danijela Horak led AI Research at BBC R&D for three years. Before she departed in 2025, we had the opportunity to reflect with her on why AI research matters for public service.

In this conversation, we unpack the strategic and cultural role of AI research within a public service organisation, and why responsible development and participation matter as much as innovation. From shaping standards and expectations to understanding the risks of disengagement, this episode examines why sustained investment in AI research is vital to delivering public value in an AI driven future.

Episode 3: How is TAMS reshaping media production? From concept to industry standard

From research concept, to real-world workflow.

Once a research concept, the Time Addressable Media Store is now a real world workflow beginning to make its mark on media production.

In this episode of Inside R&D, Joseph Turner speaks to Sam Mesterton Gibbons, a senior engineer at the heart of TAMS. Together, they explore what TAMS is, why it was built, and how it’s been designed to support fast turnaround, cloud native ways of working. Sam reflects on the role of open standards, collaboration across the industry, and what it really takes to evolve media production without losing sight of editorial values. From live workflows to emerging uses of automation, this conversation offers a glimpse into how TAMS could influence what comes next for the industry.

Episode 4: What can we expect from the future of media and technology? Insights from MPTS 2026

A special edition episode filmed at MPTS 2026.

The Media Production & Technology Show is one of the key events in the industry calendar where technology, creativity and innovation converge. As you’d expect, BBC R&D was well represented across the show.

In this special episode of Inside R&D, Joseph Turner headed to MPTS 2026 with a camera and microphone, catching up with BBC R&D engineers and a former colleague now working in the wider industry.

Across three short conversations, they explore what’s changing, what’s exciting, and what’s coming next for media and technology and what that means for the BBC, from audio experiences and augmented realities, to sustainability.