NI SPACE secures portion of £1.6 million funding injection from the UK Space Agency..'great news for the space sector locally'
Support from UK Space Agency to fuel innovation, jobs, and collaboration across government, business, and research in Northern Ireland
NI SPACE has announced that it has secured a portion of a £1.6 million funding injection from the UK Space Agency which will help to support a number of projects and initiatives across government, business and research sectors.
Announced during the UK Space Conference last week, the funding will be divided between 10 regional clusters and will enable NI SPACE to enhance engagement and collaboration with the public sector to accelerate innovative projects that are currently ongoing to drive growth in the region.
“This additional funding is great news for the space sector locally and is a strong vote of confidence in our fast-growing industry,” said Robert Hill, NI SPACE cluster manager.
“The use of space technology offers a plethora of opportunities when it comes to addressing societal and environmental issues and this funding will enable us to continue collaborating with the public sector, businesses and research organisations to enhance our communities and ecosystems.”
In a report entitled the 2024 Size and Health of the UK Space Industry, also released last week by the UK Space Agency, 62 space related organisations are currently operating in Northern Ireland, generating £104 million in income and supporting over 540 jobs in the 2022 / 2023 financial year. Northern Ireland also recorded a 135% increase in its space sector workforce, making it one of the fastest-growing regional space sectors in the UK, something which Robert claims is set to continue.
“We have a large number of organisations and companies that are contributing to the sector, including those that are pioneering innovation, engineering and research and Northern Ireland is increasingly being recognised on the global stage for its talent and technical capabilities,” Robert continued.
“The recent figures released by the UK Space Agency highlight just how far we’ve come and how much the sector has achieved. This additional support from the UK Space Agency will help us to build on that momentum, strengthening collaborations, boosting new opportunities and ensuring that Northern Ireland continues to play a vital role in the UK’s space ambitions, however, there is still more work to do. We need sustained support in order to fully unlock the potential of space technologies across the region.”
With over 100 companies in Northern Ireland already working in the UK Space supply chain, the opportunity for long-term impact is sky-high.