The Space Industrial Plan: Westminster’s strategy to advance the UK space sector

The UK’s space sector is stronger than ever, employing some 48,000 people across the country and providing some of its most productive and skilled jobs.

That was the context from Andrew Griffith MP, minister for science, research and innovation, last week as Westminster published its Space Industrial Plan – a new strategy to ‘rethink how government works with industry partners’.

By 2030 the government aims to have built a long-term, mature relationship with the UK space industry, giving SMEs a voice in policy development and promoting a more diverse mix of businesses both small and large within the sector.

It’s looking in particular to propel UK space to the global forefront across five key fields:

• Space Domain Awareness (SDA) – the study and monitoring of satellites in orbit.
• In-orbit servicing and assembly and manufacturing.
• Gathering data from space for applications on earth.
• Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) – the technologies and systems that power our telecoms, power, agriculture and all manner of critical infrastructure.
• Satellite communication technology.

Read the March 2024 issue of The Business Magazine, including our feature on skills

If government can do this, says Mr Griffith, it will send a strong signal to both businesses and investors, ‘giving them the confidence to invest long term in the sector’.

So, what steps are being taken to fulfil the ambitions of the Space Industrial Plan?

The UK will soon begin exploring pilots for new business development tools and approaches to complement existing programmes like the European Space Agency (ESA) Business Incubator, UK Space Agency (UKSA) Accelerator and Unlocking Space for Investment.

It will also look to fill gaps identified in last year’s space skills survey; attract more private funding for UK R&D programmes; and engage more closely with the kind of regional space clusters which have been cropping up in recent years.

One such cluster – the largest of them all – is Space South Central, representing 170 organisations across Hampshire, Surrey and the Isle of Wight.

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

Home to Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL), Surrey Space Centre and Hampshire’s In-Space Missions to name a few, strengths for the region include launch technologies, satellite manufacturing communications, robotics, autonomous systems and satellite data-enabled services.

“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”, said Dr Louise Butt, director of the Space South Central Enterprise Network.

“This gives our region a head start in capitalising on any funding and initiatives that arise from the Space Industrial Plan.”

As keen as government is to draw in private investors, it will also, as Louise suggests, put aside more of its own money to boost the sector – including a recent £250,000 grant to SSTL.

Read more - Guildford satellite manufacturer SSTL in funding boost

This public investment will help fund a new R&D imager cleanroom at SSTL’s Guildford facilities, supporting development of pioneering space-based imaging tech.

It was one of six to be announced at last week’s Space-Comm Expo alongside funding for the South West Space Partnership – a new collaboration set to build on the success of another regional cluster, Space West.

Launched in 2020, Space West brings together academic and industry partners across the West of England, including the universities of Bristol and Bath and the Centre for Modelling and Simulation (CFMS) in Bristol.

They’re now set to join forces with Cornwall Space Cluster, forming a pan-regional partnership with an eye to attract international investment.

These Space-Comm Expo announcements weren’t the only recent show of strength to back up the big talk of the Space Industrial Plan, as the Spring Budget also carried good news for the sector.

It saw the full launch of the government’s Connectivity in Low-Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme, designed to futureproof the UK’s competitive edge in satellite communications.

With a number of high-value contracts expected for the sector over the next four to five years, Westminster is looking to help UK firms secure a significant share.

It will also work to accelerate the commercialisation and rapid industrialisation of the technologies and industry capabilities necessary for high-volume production.

“The UK’s rich heritage as a world-leading space nation is not just a matter of pride, but the cornerstone of our ambition to drive economic growth on a global scale and to use space technology to improve lives and inspire future scientists and innovators”, said Andrew Griffith MP.

“Space offers a vast range of new opportunities – global broadband connecting otherwise unreachable areas; climate monitoring advancing our ability to tackle one of the greatest challenges facing the world; 3D-printing organs in space reducing transplant waiting times and the risk of rejection.

“This plan is a commitment to our future in space. We’re 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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