£6.5mln growth funding for UK space sector

Eighteen projects aimed at boosting the space sector across the UK are to receive £6.5mln in funding from the UK Space Agency.

The £6.5mln includes support for locally led schemes and space cluster development managers to help the space sector grow across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The projects will harness space-enabled technology to address local priorities, such as using Earth Observation data to improve local public services and help innovative engineering companies access the UK’s growing space markets.

The UK Space Agency funding also includes £1.5mln for an expert consortium of business support providers, led by Entrepreneurial Spark, to work with entrepreneurs from all over the UK and help them get involved in the space sector.

The projects are focused on piloting local activity that could be scaled up and rolled out nationally.

UK Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan, says, ‘These projects will tap into the wealth of talent found in places like Cornwall and the east Midlands, as well as across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while using space and satellite technology to support local communities.’