UK space exports on track to meet ambitious targets of exports making up 60% of the UK space sector.

UK space exports are set to grow to £25bn in the next decade, meeting the industry and government target for space exports to make up 60% of the UK’s space sector revenue by 2030.

As the sector celebrates National Space Day (3 May 2019) and as the race to space intensifies, businesses in the UK are seeing the demand for their products and services rising globally, with small satellites leading the way. In 2018, UK exports of space craft including satellites grew to £282.92m, supported by DIT’s Space Exports Campaign. Growing demand is being met by companies such as Oxford Space Systems (OSS), who are finding 70% of their business is coming from the United States. It is currently building one of its highest value export developments – a Large Deployable Antenna (LDA) – for LEO Earth observation mission using radar technology for a commercial customer looking to launch in 2020.

This will be the first non-US (and therefore International Traffic in Arms Regulations free) LDA launched into orbit, a major milestone both for OSS and the UK space sector.

Founder and CEO at OSS, Mike Lawton said:

“The US is the epi-centre of the New Space industry, so it’s little surprise we see the bulk of enquires wanting innovative, cost-sensitive technology against compressed lead times coming from the United States. It’s only natural that as part of our continued growth, we’ll have a presence in the US in the not too distant future to better serve our customer base.”

Business Development Manager, Michael Loweth said:

“The UK has a wealth of space expertise to leverage and has ambitious goals of trebling it’s space industry by 2030. It’s only natural that most of this growth is going to come from exporting the UK’s novel and innovative technology globally, especially considering the global nature of the space industry. There’s an unparalleled level of support for SMEs like OSS from the UK government through the UK Space Agency, Innovate UK, Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), and through DIT. The UK space start-up scene is really the envy of the world!’’

The Space Exports Campaign aims to enhance the position of UK companies in the international market. The offer to exporters includes space trade missions to priority markets including the USA and India, detailed information about new markets and access to a network of overseas market specialists.

The campaign includes a focus on the major space primes, such as Boeing and SpaceX in the United States, who value businesses that have innovative products that can enhance to better their capabilities.

As part of the campaign, DIT will be hosting a stand with the UK Space Agency at the Satellite Show 2019 Conference 6-9 May in Washington D.C., to showcase UK capability in space on the international stage.

And with the UK’s historical expertise in satellite innovation and manufacturing, it has a skilled workforce ready to meet the demand of this growing industry.

It is estimated that around 1,300 satellites will be launched between 2017 and 2020 with the UK at the heart of the industry’s expansion. To support this, the UK Space Agency runs a range of programmes such as the Space for Smarter Government Programme, which is delivered in collaboration with the Satellite Applications Catapult. It has created five centres of excellence across of the country to drive engagement and growth of the sector within industry and academia.

The UK Space Agency is also a leading contributor to the European Space Agency’s ARTES programme (Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems), which supports R&D to produce innovative and leading-edge satellite communications products and services.

Deputy Director for Technology, Entrepreneurship and Advanced Manufacturing Team at DIT, Dylan Thomas said:

“When it comes to the commercial space industry, the United Kingdom is a truly global player.

“The UK is positioned to take advantage of this evolving sector and having developed without the assistance of a large national space programme, the UK space industry has always had a more commercial, market-orientated approach to space.

“The 21st Century will herald an age of mass produced satellites serving multiple uses on earth to provide “go anywhere” connectivity, and the UK is leading the charge.”

Notes to Editors

The UK’s Space Conference is also open to registration for September in Wales.

UK space exports on track to meet ambitious targets of exports making up 60% of the UK space sector.

Edinburgh-based company Ecometrica is changing the way space data is used globally by exporting its satellite mapping technology

This National Space Day (3 May 2019), the Department for International Trade (DIT) celebrates the success of the Scottish space sector which could be worth £4bn by 2030.

Scotland plays a key role in the wider UK space industry valued at £15bn and growing by 3.3% per annum, making it a global success story.

In 2016/17, UK space exports were worth £5.5bn, and the industry currently generates more than 37% of income from abroad. In the same year, the UK space industry supported 41,900 jobs – with nearly a fifth based in Scotland.

One company boosting Scotland’s space sector is Edinburgh-based Ecometrica. The space and sustainability business uses innovative satellite data to help combat global challenges such as deforestation and climate change.

Dylan Thomas, Deputy Director of Technology, Entrepreneurship and Advanced Manufacturing at DIT, said:

“Ecometrica is a great example of how satellite technology can help tackle economic, societal and environmental issues, solving the most pressing global challenges of our time.

“The Scottish space sector is dynamic and ever growing, and Scotland alone is home to more than 130 space businesses, generating a combined income of £140m.

“Businesses like Ecometrica ensure that the UK continues to thrive in the space sector, which is why the Department for International Trade is committed to providing support for hundreds of Scottish businesses to identify export opportunities.”

Ecometrica’s satellite mapping technology provides businesses and governments with actionable insights using images gathered from space, air and land, changing the way space data is used globally.

With 25 employees based in Edinburgh, Ecometrica exports its services to nine countries including Malaysia, Sweden and Turkey. The company also has offices in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Gary Davis, CEO of Ecometrica, said:

“Our latest growth phase has seen us focus on export markets and expand geographically, especially in the Americas. Our Agile Space approach means we are constantly thinking of new ways to adapt and improve the Ecometrica Platform, and our Research & Development team works very closely with our customers to ensure it meets their current and future needs.

“We will continue to focus on satellite mapping, which will be an ongoing part of our story as many more governments, organisations and industries wake up to the power of geospatial data and satellite mapping.”

Ecometrica is currently leading on Forests 2020, a UK Space Agency project, to help protect and restore up to 300 million hectares of tropical forests through satellite data by improving forest monitoring systems in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Ghana, Kenya and Indonesia.