Hants and Surrey poised to capitalise on government’s new space plan, says cluster

The thriving space sector across Hampshire, Surrey and the Isle of Wight is perfectly placed to capitalise on the government’s new Space Industrial Plan, according to the region’s industry cluster.

Last Thursday, Westminster laid out its joint civil defence plan to ‘modernise the relationship between government and the commercial space sector, establishing clear visions, missions, and actions to unlock growth and develop resilient space capabilities’.

Ministers pledged to boost growth for in-orbit servicing; assembly and manufacturing; space data for Earth applications; position, navigation and timing (PNT); and satellite communication technology.

The plan has been well received by Space South Central, the UK’s largest space cluster. It represents 170 organisations in the region and celebrates its first anniversary this April.

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Figures from 2022 showed that Surrey and Hampshire alone account for around £3 billion of national space industry turnover, with the region’s space sector employing 5,600 people employed in the space sector across the two counties.

Strengths for the region include satellite manufacturing, launch technologies, communications, robotics, autonomous systems, and satellite data-enabled service capabilities.

As for Space South Central, the cluster has worked over the past year to stimulate international trade, foster collaborations with the universities of Portsmouth, Southampton and Surrey, and support innovation and growth among startups and SMEs within the sector.

Dr Louise Butt, director of the Space South Central Enterprise Network, said: “While we await further details of how the Space Industrial Plan will be implemented, its areas of focus play to the strengths of our region and align with Space South Central’s existing priorities.

“As one of the most established regional space clusters, we have a dedicated team already working on the priorities outlined in the plan, bolstered by three world-class university partners and a wealth of space capabilities unrivalled anywhere in the UK.

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“This gives our region a head start in capitalising on any funding and initiatives that arise from the Space Industrial Plan – and the Space South Central team is poised to ensure that our region can maximise these opportunities.”

Andrew Griffith MP, minister for science, research and innovation, lent a foreword to last Thursday’s plan.

He said: “This plan builds on our commitments from our National Space Strategy, which laid robust foundations for the ambitious journey ahead to embed space as a fundamental driver of industrial growth and national resilience. 

“We’re prioritising activity out to 2030 with clear, timed missions and actions that we want to see backed and run by UK industry. This will only be deliverable through a shared endeavour, and we are offering our hand in that partnership. 

“I am confident that the UK will continue to be a beacon of innovation, exploration, discovery, and growth in the boundless potential that space offers.”

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