fortitude

Turning science fiction into science fact with an Oxford Executive MBA

Published

'FORTITUDE – Forging the Trillion Dollar Space Economy' premieres in the Library of Congress, launches on AppleTV and was watched from space.

Following three years of production, FORTITUDE, featuring some of the leading names in the commercial space sector, premiered at the iconic Library of Congress in Washington DC on 16 July, with the film also available on AppleTV. Watch the trailer on Youtube.

'FORTITUDE - Forging the Trillion Dollar Space Economy' was produced by award-winning Director and Saïd Business School Executive MBA (EMBA) alumnus Torsten Hoffmann, whose previous documentaries include CRYPTOPIA: Bitcoin, Blockchains and the Future of the Internet (2020, Amazon Prime and Netflix Europe) which featured Oxford Saïd's Associate Professor of Strategic Management, Marc Ventresca.

Torsten Hoffmann, who was in our 2009/10 EMBA class, called his latest feature film a ‘must-see for anyone interested in how technology is shaping the future’. Throughout the film, he candidly discusses the emerging space industry with leaders and policymakers from multiple national space agencies, the United Nations, renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Dylan Taylor, leading venture capitalist and founder of non-profit organisations such as Space for Humanity, as well as leading commercial names that include Northrop Grumman, Rocket Lab, Viasat, Voyager Space, Firefly Aerospace, Planet, Exolaunch, Astroscale, CONTEC, Spire Global and many more.

Fortitude is a must-see for anyone interested in how technology is shaping the future. Part of the documentary was filmed at Harwell, near Oxford. The connections formed during my EMBA programme still benefit me today.

Torsten Hoffmann

EMBA 2010 Class

Torsten Hoffmann
Torsten Hoffmann

Commenting on the release of the documentary, Torsten said: 'After the opening remarks from Congressman Glenn Ivey at the red-carpet event in Washington, there was a surreal moment when Jeanette Epps appeared on the screen greeting us from aboard the International Space Station! Part of the documentary was filmed at Harwell, near Oxford. The connections formed during my EMBA programme still benefit me today.'

FORTITUDE explores the rise of a new private 'space age', the often-overlooked dependence of the public and businesses on satellites and showcases noteworthy female engineers and scientists working in the industry. The film also tackles growing concerns about space sustainability, delving into how the industry has a direct impact on both Earth and space environments. 

Watch the trailer on Youtube.

The global space sector has grown dramatically over the past decade and plays a significant role in our daily lives, but we face a pressing challenge. FORTITUDE brings these opportunities and challenges to life in a way that I hope will inspire many more people...

Paul Bate

CEO of the UK Space Agency

Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said 'The global space sector has grown dramatically over the past decade and plays a significant role in our daily lives, but we face a pressing challenge. FORTITUDE brings these opportunities and challenges to life in a way that I hope will inspire many more people to contribute to the space sector, to bring fresh perspectives to our work and help us protect our orbital environment and beyond.’

Recognising that the dramatic shifts in the global space sector provide many opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs, policymakers, social sciences researchers and indeed film-makers like Torsten, Marc Ventresca and colleagues Lucas Kello and Michele Scataglini set up the Oxford Space Initiative. As part of that initiative we discuss developments in the space economy in our Smart Space event series and share research and insights on Oxford Answers.

Learn more about the Oxford Executive MBA

More extraordinary EMBA alumni stories

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This year as we mark the 20th anniversary of the Oxford Executive MBA, we are celebrating the extraordinary stories behind students and alumni like Torsten. Our Associate Dean, Kathy Harvey, has picked up the microphone to explore their journeys before, during and after their Executive MBA.

The Application is a podcast that tells us about our alumni – their background, what was the driver that caused them to apply for the Oxford Executive MBA, what the turning points in their lives are, what their identity is and the tension that often embodies so much of our professional lives.

Listen now to The Application