Guildford: University hosts hub to grow UK space sector

A new partnership will provide UK businesses in space, robotics and AI sectors with access to funding and expertise from network of universities and industry partners.

The national SPRINT (SPace Research and Innovation Network for Technology) programme has signed a partnership agreement with the FAIR-SPACE Hub, a national centre of research excellence in space robotics and AI, based at the University of Surrey.

The two organisations will combine their complementary university research and innovation networks to provide companies operating in the space sector or in robotic and AI technologies with a larger and more connected university support network. This consortium of industry and academic partners can deliver funded expertise to help UK businesses develop new products and services, and to grow their businesses.

The £5 million SPRINT programme provides unprecedented access to university space expertise and facilities to help businesses develop new commercial products for space and other key sectors. It is being delivered by a consortium of five of the UK’s leading space universities, led by the University of Leicester and including the University of Edinburgh, Open University, University of Southampton and University of Surrey.

Led by the University of Surrey with over 30 international partners, the FAIR-SPACE Hub consortium offers a unique combination of expertise and capabilities to address key challenges in space robotics and autonomous systems.

FAIR-SPACE Hub director, professor Sir Martin Sweeting, explained: “FAIR-SPACE Hub has integrated hardware and software testbeds that offer realistic simulation of space factors to facilitate testing and validation of research outputs on Earth. The technologies developed by FAIR-SPACE have applications in space and other industries where there is a need to navigate hazardous or challenging environments, such as nuclear, underwater, mining and agriculture.”