Competition will bring space technology to Earth
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The government has announced an £8.5m competition to develop commercial products from space technology and data.
The Space for Growth programme will match funding for a range of projects proposed by industry in the areas of: satellite telecommunications; sensing; position, navigation and timing; and robotics, exploration and access to space.
Science minister David Willetts said: ‘The UK space industry is an important driver of growth and supports thousands of the most high-tech jobs we have in this country.
‘This investment will take that success further, as part of the £10m for space technology announced in the Budget.
‘It will help innovative British businesses design and manufacture highly commercial, cutting-edge products that will be in global demand.’
Space for Growth will provide up to £2m for flagship projects and up to £100,000 for smaller projects. All projects must be collaborative, business-led and have a clear route through to commercial exploitation.
The money will come from the first round of investment from the UK’s National Space Technology Programme, funded by the UK Space Agency in partnership with the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).
Dr David Williams, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said: ‘Having a National Space Technology Programme means helping UK researchers and businesses develop the technology and services for the future of space.’
‘The Agency is committed to maintaining the momentum that the UK has gained since our launch last year, and developing our domestic space capabilities will be a large part of that.’
Oona Muirhead CBE, Chief Executive of SEEDA, said: ‘The South East is at the forefront of the global space industry and there are huge commercial and export opportunities for businesses, particularly in down-stream technologies such as phone applications.’
The competition opens on 31 October and will be managed by the TSB.
