A NETWORKING event is calling on space experts in Scotland to share knowledge and expertise with businesses looking to level up within the industry.
The networking event, taking place on June 24th, seeks to strengthen connections between space value chain companies and those interested in the sector’s opportunities in Northern Ireland, as well as facilitating new collaborations for those businesses across the wider UK.
Delivery partners for the event include the UK Space Agency and strategic space marketing firm AstroAgency, which is based in Edinburgh.
The event has been organised by the Space Research and Innovation Network for Technology (SPRINT), while the Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) research group at Queen’s University Belfast is hosting the event.
SPRINT provides access to the expertise and facilities at top UK space universities to help businesses accelerate the development of their products and services through the commercial exploitation of space data and technologies.
The UK’s space industry is targeting significant growth within the next decade, with the publishing of the National Space Strategy last year specifying an objective to level up the country’s space economy through supporting regional activity across the United Kingdom.
The ‘SPRINT Space Sector Update and Speed Networking Event’ is free to attend and has been shaped to ensure participants leave with knowledge on the latest market updates and a broad understanding of recently launched or upcoming initiatives, including funding support, from several speakers throughout the morning and early afternoon.
A speed networking session, organised by strategic space guidance firm AstroAgency, will allow participants to maximise their time at the event through quick-fire introductions, ensuring direct collaboration opportunities are presented.
National SPRINT Head of Programme, Dr Rain Irshad, stated: “We’re excited about running this event and providing businesses in Northern Ireland with key updates on the sector’s progress, as well as enabling new commercial partnerships to be formed with companies from the rest of the UK in order to support the sector’s growth.
“As the UK moves quickly to achieve its ambitions in becoming a leading space nation, there is a huge role for businesses across the entire country to play that aligns well with the levelling up agenda”.
While the global space economy is projected to grow from an estimated £270bn in 2019 to £490bn by 2030, the recently published Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2021 report highlighted that UK space-related organisations produced £16.5bn in income in 2019/20.
In terms of employment, space activities supported a total of approximately 190,000 jobs across the value chain, growing 6.7% from 2018/19 and demonstrating the exciting potential of the sector.
With further growth projected as more companies move to capture their share in the market, the UK space sector represents an opportunity for businesses to secure additional revenue streams.
Chris McQuire, Head of Local Growth at the UK Space Agency, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to forge valuable partnerships in the fast-growing space sector.
“Strengthening connections across the space value chain is a vital part of our mission to catalyse investment, and this event will promote new and exciting opportunities for regional collaboration within Northern Ireland, while extending links between Northern Irish businesses and those in the rest of the UK.”
The SPRINT Space Sector Update and Speed Networking Event will also offer a ‘hybrid’ format, allowing those who cannot join in person to log-in remotely and engage online with participants and speakers from the likes of the Satellite Applications Catapult and industry group ADS.
