Westcott Space Cluster to gain additional £5.9m UK Space Agency funding funding

By Stephen Emerson

24 November 2023

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Emily Dingle, COO at URA Thrusters, Nigel MacKenzie, Development Manager at Westcott, and Matt Peachey, Head of Enterprise Zone Development at Buckinghamshire LEP.

Space research, manufacturing and testing facilities at the Westcott Space Cluster will get a £5.9 million boost thanks to UK Space Agency funding.

The investment, announced at the UK Space Conference held in Belfast, is a result of a successful collaborative bid led by URA Thrusters and including Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), Skyports and Plastron UK.

Westcott Space Cluster will use the funding to enhance its capabilities in space research, manufacturing, and testing.

Emily Dingle, COO at URA Thrusters, said: “As leaders of the bid we were thrilled to see the overwhelming support from all the members of the Westcott Space Cluster and academia across the United Kingdom. This support demonstrates the recognition of the national importance of our endeavours - the opportunity for Westcott to be an internationally recognised Space Cluster is here!

“From URA’s perspective renting space in the new building and using its state-of-the-art facilities will enable us to further develop and commercialise our sustainable propulsion systems and grow our business here at Westcott.”

Bucks LEP is investing in shared facilities and URA will take a pre let in the Westcott Space Hub.

Richard Harrington, Chief Executive of the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership said: “The Bucks LEP collaborated with the Government to publish an Industrial Strategy in 2019. This strategy identified a strong local competency in the Space and related sectors. Building
upon its existing assets, the Bucks LEP is thrilled to partner with industry and the UK Space Agency to enhance the UK’s Space testing capability and foster a vibrant Space community to help deliver a part of the National Space Strategy. This investment continues to turn the dial on innovation and productivity in the UK."

By Stephen Emerson

Stephen Emerson is the Managing Editor of The Business Magazine and is responsible for the publication's print publications and online properties including the newly launched Biz News websites in Hampshire and Dorset.

Stephen has been a journalist for 20 years and has worked at local, regional and national publications and led a team which made The Scotsman website one of the fastest growing news sites in the UK with over eight million monthly users.

He has a keen interest in technology, property and corporate finance and telling the stories of the people behind the successful firms in these sectors.