Scotland has 'crucial' role to play in UK's space ambitions
UK sector on cusp of ‘new space age’, conference told
Scotland has an opportunity to become a European launch gateway and a “truly global centre” for sustainable space, according to a Scotland Office minister.
Kirsty McNeill MP said the nation would play a “crucial role” in the UK’s future space strategy, pointing to its “unique combination of assets.”
It comes as the head of the UK Space Agency (UKSA) said Scotland was “vital” to the UK wide sector, which found itself on the cusp of a “new space age.”
In a speech at the Space-Comm Expo Scotland event in Glasgow, the biggest space industry gathering ever held in Scotland, Ms McNeill said it was important for the UK government and other partners to help Scotland’s thriving space industry to grow further.
“Scotland has the talent, it has the ambition, and it has the capability, but we must keep building the capacity to match the scale of the opportunity in front of us,” she said.
“Space is a truly national endeavour and for Scotland's space sector to realise its own potential it must be visible, valued and influential across the whole of the UK government. That's my job.”
The Labour MP for Midlothian added: “We also have an opportunity to position Scotland as a European launch gateway, a truly global centre for sustainable space, and a world leader in satellite manufacturing and data driven innovation.
“The Department for Science Innovation and Technology, including the UK Space Agency, is working closely with international partners, and Scotland will be an increasingly central part of that work.”
She continued: “Scotland has a unique combination of assets - a globally respected manufacturing base, a launch opportunity that is genuinely transformational, world leading universities and research centres, a thriving SME ecosystem, a commitment to sustainability, and an outward looking ambition that truly matches the scale of this sector.”
The event in the city’s SEC is expected to draw more than 2,300 delegates, 100 speakers, and 80 exhibitors over two days, showcasing Scotland’s space industry and its potential for growth.
Also delivering a keynote speech at the conference was Dr Paul Bate, chief executive officer of the UKSA, who said the success of those involved in the space sector will be determined “not by what the approaches or the past were, but the choices we make now.”
He explained: “The geopolitical sands are shifting, the orbital environment is host to a growing number of rising powers, commercial entities are becoming global leaders in their own right.”
Dr Bate also said the next year, the UK government will issue a publication clarifying its priorities, ambitions and mechanisms across the space sector, with the UKSA “deepening its collaboration” with the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations.
He pointed to the projects allocated £4.6 million in funding by the UKSA this week - a cohort which includes universities working on satellite technology and collaborating with major tech firms - as a showcase of the Scottish sector.
“These projects highlight Scotland’s role in space technology, from safeguarding communications to monitoring environmental change, and ensuring that navigation systems remain robust,” he added.
“Scotland plays a vital role in the UK space sector, contributing over £380m in income, and employing over 7,000 people - that’s one in eight people in the UK space sector.”
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