South West's space sector 'will work much closer together'

A share of half a million pounds has today been given to the region's growing space sector, after a formal 'alliance' was created

John Hulks, Space Ecosystem Development Manager. James Fairburn, Space Cluster Development Manager. Gail Eastaugh, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Cornwall Space Cluster. Ian Jones, CEO, Goonhilly Earth Station. Chris White-Horne, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, UK Space Agency.
Author: Andrew KayPublished 7th Mar 2024
Last updated 7th Mar 2024

The South West's growing space sector - which already boosts 250 organisations - has been given a share of half a million pounds.

The Government wants to see more collaboration between places like includes Spaceport Cornwall as well as the Universities of Bath, Bristol and West of England.

Gail Eastaugh, who oversees strategic partnerships for the Cornwall Space Cluster, said: "This strategic funding marks a significant milestone, allowing us to expand our technological and innovative capabilities across Cornwall and the wider South West.

"By forging a dynamic partnership with Invest Bristol and Bath, and with the invaluable backing of the UK Space Agency, we're positioned at the forefront of driving pioneering advancements and providing robust commercial support within the UK's innovative space sector.

"This collaborative effort not only amplifies our ability to foster ground-breaking innovation through our cluster members but also catalyses the growth of the UK's space industry, establishing a strong foundation for future ventures.

"Through this South West Cluster alliance, we're unlocking unprecedented possibilities for development and commercialisation, ensuring the UK remains a global leader in the space industry's competitive landscape."

The South West is home to over 250 space-related organisations, making it the third largest by population within the UK and has seen a 34% growth in income since 2018/19.

In yesterday’s Spring Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced the launch of the full Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme, which it says is 'building on the initial £15m C-LEO call that was announced at the Autumn Statement and is a programme of up to £160 million over the next four years to unleash the country’s potential to become a global leader in next generation satellite communication technologies while creating hundreds of highly skilled jobs'.

Six projects to improve infrastructure and encourage collaboration across the UK’s growing space sector have been announced today at Space-Comm Expo, following the publication of the government’s Space Industrial Plan.

The six areas getting help include plans to 'bring together regional space and agricultural sectors in Scotland and the East of England to explore challenge-based opportunities through space capability research and knowledge-sharing' and also 'leveraging Earth observation capabilities within NI Space, Space Wales and the Space East clusters to monitor water bodies for harmful algal blooms and seaweed production, improving delivery of local government services using space assets and data'.

More details can be found here

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