Midlands has largest concentration of space sector organisations in the UK
The Midlands is the most popular place in the UK for space sector organisations, according to a new report.
The region is now home to 338 space sector organisations which employ more than 3,850 people and generate £476 million.
The news has been welcomed by the University of Leicester and its £100m space research and innovation centre, Space Park Leicester, which lead the Midlands Space Cluster’s consortium of partners.
Professor Martin Barstow is Director of Strategic Partnerships at Space Park Leicester, Professor of Astrophysics and Space Science at the University of Leicester’s School of Physics and Astronomy, and Cluster Principal Investigator at the Midlands Space Cluster.
He said: “The Midlands Space Cluster plays a significant role in the UK’s space ecosystem and organisations like Space Park Leicester are proud to be creating and supporting a thriving, innovative and engaged community of space sector businesses.
“As well as Space Park Leicester, the region is home to several other world class space research and development facilities, including the National Space Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre.
“These facilities host several important organisations including the National Centre for Earth Observation, the National Space Academy, the European Space Agency Additive Manufacturing Benchmarking Centre and the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation.
“Together we are pushing the boundaries of space exploration, satellite technology and Earth Observation to benefit our society and the UK economy.”
Midlands Space Cluster Manager Frank McQuade added: “The Midlands Size and Health report highlights the depth of capability we have in the Midlands with Space Park Leicester and the major industrial and academic players we in the region. As the space sector grows and becomes more commercial, we are ideally placed to make the Midlands a key component of the global supply chain.”
The Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2024 Regional Report has been released by the UK Space Agency and London Economics – one of Europe’s leading specialist economics and policy consultancies.
The report, which looked at the UK’s 14 regional space clusters, revealed there are now 2,888 space industry organisations operating across the country.
The Midlands Space Cluster tops the list with 338 organisations – 12 per cent of the total number of UK space organisations. This is ahead of Space South Central which covers Hampshire, Surrey and the Isle of Wight and has 264 organisations, Space East which covers six counties in the East of England and has 241 organisations and Space Scotland which has 224.
The number of people employed in the Midlands in non Direct-To-Home (DTH) space activities, which includes manufacturing, operations, applications and research, was also significant.
In total, 3,064 individuals are working in these roles in the Midlands, placing it third in the country after Space South Central which employs 4,055 people and Space East which has 3,820 space sector workers.
The Midlands Space Cluster also came third nationally for the level of space-related income generated by non-DTH employment, generating £473 million – five per cent of UK’s total non-DTH space income. The region generated a further £3 million in space-related income connected to DTH activities.
The Midlands Space Cluster’s other academic partners are the University of Birmingham and the University of Nottingham.
Discover more about Space Park Leicester’s cutting-edge partnerships, pioneering missions, resident community, state-of-the-art facilities, specialist training programmes and innovation ecosystem at www.space-park.co.uk. Explore how your organisation can collaborate with us here. To learn more about the University of Leicester, visit le.ac.uk.
Main image: Space Park Leicester is home to 23 space organisations