HUNTER CENTRE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Programme of Study Project Management and Innovation

Year of Study (e.g. 1st Year UG, MSc

Honours, MSc)

Module Title Technology and Organisational Change

Module Code Z1975

Module coordinator’s name Dr Aylin Ates

Seminar tutor’s name (if different from N/A

above)

Submission date 12th December 2022

Assignment Title UK Space Industry and Space Data

Word Count (n/a for presentations) 2652 words

(Please Note -Module information required above can be found in your Module Handbook)

Penalties:
Penalties will be applied on a sliding scale:
 Coursework that is submitted late, but within 24 hours of the submission deadline will
be subject to a 10-point deduction on the percentage mark being applied to the
original mark.
 For each subsequent day that a coursework is submitted late up until four working
days after the deadline, a penalty of 5 percentage point deduction per day will be
applied to the original mark.
 The maximum number of percentage points that can be deducted for late submission
is 25
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the correct version of their assignment is
uploaded and in an acceptable file format.

Extensions & Academic Dishonesty Information:

For more information about extensions click HERE and academic dishonesty (including
plagiarism) click HERE.

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SPACE DATA
CONTENTS:

1. ANALYSING THE UK SPACE INDUSTRY ............................................................... 3

1. WHAT IS SPACE DATA? ......................................................................................... 3

2. UK SPACE INDUSTRY ............................................................................................ 3

3. SPACE STRATEGY .................................................................................................. 4

4. AGILE ROADMAP .................................................................................................... 5

2. SPACE DATA’S COMMERCIAL USE CASES .......................................................... 6

3. IMPACTS ON ORGANISATIONS TO ACHIEVE

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ............................................................................................. 8

4. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 9

1. SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ 9

2. SPACE DATA COMPARED TO BIG DATA ......................................................... 10

3. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................ 11

References ................................................................................................................................ 12

5. APPENDICES .............................................................................................................. 15

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1. ANALYSING THE UK SPACE INDUSTRY
1. WHAT IS SPACE DATA?
Space Data is the collection of information about Earth’s surface, using Earth-orbit
monitoring equipment like satellites and space shuttles, and, expanding our understanding of
the universe using telescopes, laboratories, and rovers. Space data has high utility in science
telecommunication, entertainment, mapping and running security software. This data can be
utilised to identify the biggest challenges of the present and solve them in the future.
(asdaf.space, 2022), (SetiInstitute, 2020)

2. UK SPACE INDUSTRY
The UK Space Industry has made significant progress since the publication of the Space
Innovation and Growth Strategy in 2010, establishing the Space Leadership Council, the UK
Space Agency, the Satellite Applications Catapult, and bringing the European Centre for
Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) to the UK. Benefits of the Space
Growth Action Plan include an increase in new exports, 100,000 skilled employments, a
wider choice of applications with added value, and the development of a regional SME sector
in the UK. (Green, 2020)

The UK economy is heavily reliant on space technologies. Navigation, weather forecasting,

power grid monitoring, financial transactions, and improved public services are all provided
by satellites and space activities. Satellites also deliver television and other digital
communications services to millions of UK households. Space technologies and knowledge
benefit our well-being by providing services in our daily lives and assisting other countries in
meeting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. (HM Government, September
2021)

The UK has the global capability of research and development, with an expenditure of £836
million for satellite manufacturing and operations, space exploration, remote sensing and
many other services, therefore, the UK has a global ranking 2nd in private space investments.
(Drayson, 2010)

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 Figure 1: S-Curve to depict the stage of the lifecycle of Space Data

Not only does the UK use the data to improve infrastructure and services but also puts efforts
into developing partnerships with global space allies leading internationally at the UN in
promoting space safety, security and sustainability. Therefore, Figure 1 represents the
positioning of rapidly improving Space Industry with the possibility of further growth the
attain full maturity. (Department of Business, Government of UK, 2021)

The UK space sector, worth over £16.4 billion annually, employs over 47,000 people, and
satellites support £360 billion of annual global economic activity. This sector is growing due
to a highly productive workforce. (HM Government, September 2021) Even the science
minister George Freeman said: “Looking ahead to the first satellite launches from the UK
this year, this is an exciting time for this high growth sector, up and down the country.”
(imechi, 2022) Appendix 1 includes further statistics about the UK space industry, the
economic contribution, regional distribution of income generation and regional employment
distribution in the UK.

3. SPACE STRATEGY
1. “National Space Strategy sets out long-term plans to strengthen the UK’s status as a
world-class space nation.”
2. “New vision will help grow UK’s multibillion-pound space industry, boost private
investment and capitalise on UK strengths such as satellite manufacturing.”
3. “Brings together UK government, civil and defence space activities to protect UK
interests at home and abroad.”

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 (Department of Business, Government of UK, 2021)

The Government of the UK has been acting on multiple fronts to achieve the targets, like:

 Increasing the space sector's contribution to the economy and its competitiveness
by assisting UK companies, academics, and innovators. For commercial
developments. (Leicester, 2021)
 International collaborations with partners and allies to become a popular choice in
future explorations globally.
 Making use of the data at hand to expand the UK's space and technology sector,
creating opportunities for high-profile space missions, and supporting the
development of space technologies to address global concerns like climate change
and connectivity.
 Space services to ensure that the national infrastructure relies upon a variety of
space technologies and provide a UK Defence Space Portfolio to strengthen
security at home and overseas.

The Strategy works for the defence as well as the civil space activities, with an integrated
approach to combat both, hostile forces and international cyber-attacks, while also spurring
new possibilities of innovation. (Department of Business, Government of UK, 2021)

4. AGILE ROADMAP
The UK government has been a key role player throughout the progression of the research by
analysing the size and health of the space industry. Attributes like sustainability, demand for
data locally and globally, generated revenues and employees working in the industry are
monitored to perceive the progress. There are trigger initiatives that catalyse the progressions
of these phases, for example using eco-friendly reusable materials, with a smart design can
ensure the improvement in a space vehicle’s performance as well as after deterioration would
leave lesser debris in outer space achieving more sustainability. Additionally, this detail is
further explained in Figure 2, with the help of an Agile road map. The use of a timeline is
often unfavourable in the case of scientific research, however, the depiction of phases for the
current and future states is justifiable to achieve the targets. (Mann, 2022), (Green, 2020),
(Rossettini et al., 2022)

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 Figure 2: Agile Road mapping of current and future phases defined by attributes
(virtualstrategist, 2020)

2. SPACE DATA’S COMMERCIAL USE CASES

Space data is readily available due to the ever-growing affordable satellite services. There are
new demands for the data, for example, in farming it is used to monitor temperature, terrain,
topography, and sunlight to detect crop yield and provide financial insights, boosting the
financial sector. One such company is Glasgow-based Trade in Space, it studies topography
and weather sensing data, to accurately identify draught or flood-prone areas, which will in
turn affect the land prices and development expenses in that region. Likewise, low-range,
high-accuracy movement detection can help in identifying the footfall for retail shops, to
observe customer behaviour. (Marr, 2017), (Smith, 2022), (TradeinSpace, 2022)

A software start-up called Rezatec leads in satellite data innovation and aims to create
sustainable supply chains for other businesses. In 2012, Innovate UK awarded the company
an £8,000 Innovation Voucher grant to bring in the expert technical skills needed to develop
an innovative satellite data tool. Rezatec has created a database of 12 years of global satellite
data that is refreshed every 8 days using space data from NASA and the Climate and
Environmental Monitoring from Space facility (CEMS) in the UK. Users can track the
change in land use and the ways in which it has changed, at a much lower cost than
previously possible. (UK, 2014), (Rezatec, 2022)

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Space applications of satellite signals and data are in direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting,
fixed mobile communication services, location-based signal and connectivity service
providers (eg: satellite phones and satellite connectivity in iPhone 14) and cyber security. For
instance, Sapphire is a UK-based security operations service provider that manages cloud
risk and technical solutions including data leakage prevention, email and web security,
malware protection, identity and access management, physical hardware security and
develops personalised and tailored security strategies and risk management strategies for their
clients. (Pike, 2021), (Smythe, 2022), (Sapphire, 2022)

Maintaining the time, security and performance of a rail network is crucial, and requires
reliable, real-time information to upsurge accuracy. Another UK-based Small and Medium
Enterprise is Nottingham Scientific Limited (NSL) which is implementing a proof-of-
concept solution while working with European Space Agency (ESA) and train operators,
allowing easy communication on the network and the data to be uploaded and downloaded in
real-time. The application’s initial model includes train tracking, remote engine monitoring,
incident management and driver training. (Drayson, 2010), (Dumville, 2021), (Nottingham,
2021)

Geospatial data is already supporting the way we respond to climate change and helping in
achieving net-zero energy by using innovative and actionable solutions to help tackle the
crisis and ensure we meet our sustainability goals. Ordnance Survey is collaboratively
working with the UK Space Agency and leading scientists, using its mapping capabilities,
and climate data to demarcate high-global warming areas (Figure 3). The data can also help
in gaining insights to increase resilience and make adaptation plans to protect from the
climate crisis. (Agency, 2021), (Ordnance, 2022)

Figure 3: Satellite image showing London land surface temperature.

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 The concept of Smart cities is ever-growing in developed nations like the UK, and the
government is taking initiatives for the provision of all the facilities that a smart city
comprises, like, health, mobility, governance, buildings and housing, infrastructure,
energy/environment and citizenship, all weaved in a smart setup. Smart citizenship keeps
track of a person’s energy consumption, place of residence, unrelated big data and their
movement around the city. The UK has been a world leader in managing, modelling and
visualisation of big data and spatial data and analysing it on a global level. The UK economy
has transitioned from an industrial to a post-industrial economy, which will further transition
to a knowledge economy. There are many start-ups, such as CITI LOGIK, that are assisting
in making cities smarter. It makes use of the region's existing mobile network infrastructure
to provide a comprehensive view of city transportation systems and local urban areas. It
increases awareness of the broader impact of building developments on the surrounding
network. (Ed Vaizey, 2016)

Furthermore, Space technology plays a vital part in UK’s economy, developing navigation,
weather forecasting, power grid monitoring, financial transactions and public services. (HM
Government, September 2021)

3. IMPACTS ON ORGANISATIONS TO ACHIEVE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Commercial space data impact various sectors of a business fundamentally changing the
operational structure while maintaining the core values of the company to achieve digital
transformation by providing a platform which is available conveniently, and easy to use.
(Swanson, 2014)

 Trade in Space makes use of space data and creates smooth connectivity among
aspects that wouldn’t have been otherwise achieved without a digital transformation.
(TradeinSpace, 2022)
 As in the case of Rezatec, creating an online environment which is suitable for other
start-ups allows people to cut costs of carbon stock assessment by 80%, from $500 to
$100 per sq. km. (Rezatec, 2022)
 Sapphire proposes responsible data transfer, leading to less possibility for cyber
security hazards. (Sapphire, 2022)

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  Nottingham Scientific Limited amalgamates multiple data sources like climate,
temperature and rail movement to yield real-time network data of trains, and this
system is more reliable than the schedules. (Dumville, 2021)
 Ordnance Survey’s climate research, GPS signals update weather patterns, then
preliminary hazard analysis and accurate decision-making with frequent updating are
possible. (Ordnance, 2022)

Jobs that were tedious and time-consuming due to being stalled by factors like the availability
of apparatus, resources and know-how to perform research. Even after acquiring the needful,
it would take multiple trials and errors to get the result. However, now it has become
evidently easier after digital transformation. (Bernard Marr, 2021) Common businesses like
banking, education, law, and real estate have all undergone digital transformations, and the
platforms are accessible to everybody, simple to use, and updated frequently. On the internet,
network creation is simpler. And because it is convenient and resistant to the quick growth in
technology, the masses are readily accepting of and adapting to the mega-trend of digital
transformation. Because the emphasis is on the balance achieved between the analysis and
data, using space data in the fabric of software to develop digital platforms has become the
new standard. Technology innovation has a disruptive effect on every organisation, forcing it
to alter its previous operational model. (Tan & Osborne, 2017)

4. CONCLUSION
1. SUMMARY
In our daily lives and for our well-being, space is becoming increasingly important. It
continues to offer great potential for the UK economy to expand as well as for the
development of new services and applications that help create a more connected and secure
global community. Government, business, and academia ought to be pleased with the
advancements made since the publication of the IGS 2010 report. As a result of this
collaboration, the UK's reputation in the global space community has significantly increased.
By building on these foundations, we now have the chance to show the government and
larger corporate sectors the additional economic and social benefits that space can provide.
The UK has a fantastic chance to expand its economy, export goods and services, and draw
top-tier firms there.

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The need for new and improved space infrastructure will rise with the expansion of space
data, services, and applications. This analysis shows a "virtuous circle" of increasing
customer demand propelling technological development and increased infrastructure
capacity. The research suggests that a significant percentage of this activity is driven by
specific industries, with other industries being pushed forward because of the ready
availability, lower costs, and reliability of space services and applications. (Green, 2020)

An increasing number of satellites in the orbit currently are there for commercial purposes,
and many start-ups are using the data for a variety of uses. It is expected that the purpose and
uses of space data will evolve and revolutionize the future missions we are supporting.
(Lightfoot, 2022)

Additionally, major organisations opt for digital transformation and SMEs see opportunities
to create software platforms to create these ecosystems to harness the space data for the best
of their capability.

2. SPACE DATA COMPARED TO BIG DATA

Big data is the information collected in a greater variety in high volumes, received at high
velocity. Big data is a combination of large-scale data, sets into complex data sets, due to the
combination of multiple unrelated attributes with which this information is segregated, big
data cannot be managed in traditional data sets. (OCI, 2022)

Understanding space data becomes easier after knowing about big data, however, its
implications are not yet absolutely clear, since, many of the applications are still unknown.
For a very long time space data has been used to monitor conflicts, track the flow of refugees
and gather research data. Nonetheless, with advancements in technology, and investment in
the fields, the information is readily available for organisations and businesses that are not
directly space-based. Additionally, the cost of producing and launching a space vehicle in the
present day has become as low as launching an app. The ease of acquiring data and
comparing multiple streams of data together is a benefit of collecting space data.

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3. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
Extensive economic and social returns from the Government and industry’s investment in
Space-enables services. Appendix 3 includes the UK Space Innovation and Growth Strategy
2010, and with efforts in the right track the targets can be accomplished. (Drayson, 2010)

The UK plays a strategic role in the use of space for European and worldwide security. The
UK can become a 100% broadband-enabled country in the world. The aim is to reduce
carbon emissions in space and related industries. Reduced costs of delivering services, and
create at least 100,000 high-skilled high technology jobs over 20 years, with growth in
inward investment for future research.

Investing in the space industry will also ensure an increased number of students taking up
STEM subjects for their higher education and research developments. Satellite application
data can be made consumable by more sectors of the global economy, for example, the use of
a Unified Payment Interface(UPI), at any retailer or merchandise. The UK Space Agency
should take the lead in positioning the country's analysis of Earth observation data by
encouraging the establishment of a Climate Services Centre for Europe in the country.
(Nottingham, 2021)

The agency should also develop the idea of commercial investment into SMEs and game-
changing technologies. These can be identified by calculating their feasibility and evaluating
the future of the industry. Prizes and other promotional activities can be endorsed to spur
entrepreneurial investment. There should be a revision of guidance of the UK’s space
industry on a three-yearly basis, and simplify the Outer Space Act licencing to reduce the
administrative burden for applicants and Small and Medium Enterprises while maintaining
credibility at an international level. This will in turn allow the companies to optimise the use
of resources while making sure that these companies are able to significantly contribute to the
UK’s economic growth. (Drayson, 2010). These considerations are a part of more recent
outcomes, they are a part of the short-term goals of the UK Space Agency, and can be
achieved before the end of the term of the Growth Strategy of 2010.

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References
1. Agency, U.K.S. (2021) Space data helping earth adapt to challenges of climate
change, GOV.UK. GOV.UK. Available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/space-data-helping-earth-adapt-to-challenges-
of-climate-change (Accessed: December 2, 2022).

2. asdaf.space, 2022. what is space data? a pathway for innovation. [Online]

Available at: https://asdaf.space/
[Accessed 01 December 2022].

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December 4, 2022).
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https://www.sapphire.net/ (Accessed: December 6, 2022).

5. Department of Business, Government of UK, 2021. Bold new strategy to fuel UK's
world-class space sector. [Online]
Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bold-new-strategy-to-fuel-uks-world-
class-space-
sector#:~:text=The%20Strategy%20brings%20together%20the,interests%20at%20home%20
and%20abroad
[Accessed 02 December 2022].

6. Drayson, L. P., 2010. A UK Space Innovation Strategy 2010 to 2030, s.l.: Space IGS.

7. Dumville, M. (Nottingham 2021) Nottingham Scientific (NSL) | Devex, Nottingham Scientific

(NSL). Available at: https://www.devex.com/organizations/nottingham-scientific-nsl-51701
(Accessed: December 6, 2022).

8. Ed Vaizey, T.R.H. (2016) Gov.uk. Available at:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_
data/file/526238/Smart_Cities_Pitchbook.pdf (Accessed: December 5, 2022).
9. Green, A., 2020. Space Innovation and Growth Strategy 2014-2030, s.l.: government of UK.

10. HM Government, September 2021. National Space Strategy, s.l.: s.n.

11. imechi, 2022. UK space sector sees rapid growth despite the Covid-19 pandemic. [Online]
Available at: https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/uk-space-sector-sees-rapid-

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 growth-despite-covid-19-pandemic
[Accessed 05 December 2022].

12. Leicester (2021) Leicester "leads the way" on New National Space Strategy, News |
University of Leicester. Available at: https://le.ac.uk/news/2021/september/uk-space-
strategy?cv=1 (Accessed: December 5, 2022).
13. Lightfoot, R. (2022) Council post: Three lessons on Digital Transformation in the space
industry, Forbes. Forbes Magazine. Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/11/11/three-lessons-on-digital-
transformation-in-the-space-industry/ (Accessed: December 4, 2022).
14. Mann, C. (2022) Space sustainability roadmap published, Advanced Television. Available at:
https://advanced-television.com/2022/09/07/space-sustainability-roadmap-published/
(Accessed: December 4, 2022).

15. Marr, B. (2017) Why space data is the new Big Data, Forbes. Forbes Magazine. Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2017/10/19/why-space-data-is-the-new-big-
data/ (Accessed: December 3, 2022).

16. OCI (no date) What is Big Data?, What Is Big Data? | Oracle United Kingdom. Available at:
https://www.oracle.com/uk/big-data/what-is-big-data/ (Accessed: December 5, 2022).

17. Ordnance survey: See a better place (2022) Ordnance Survey | See A Better Place. Available
at: https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ (Accessed: December 6, 2022).

18. Pike, J. (2021) Space, SPACE SURVEILLANCE. Available at:

https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/track-overview.htm (Accessed: December
2022).

19. Rezatec (2022) Innovative geospatial AI, Rezatec. Available at: https://www.rezatec.com/
(Accessed: December 5, 2022).

20. Rossettini, L., Okada, N. and Piguet, L. (2022) Without sustainable practices, orbital debris
will hinder space's Gold Rush, TechCrunch. Available at:
https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/02/without-sustainable-practices-orbital-debris-will-
hinder-spaces-gold-
rush/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_
sig=AQAAAKQmTugErbW08hf3Nbhd6PVMoCVCssLHo_eIz0uFtmCFrofYmvLUXzOoBsLIKkUKK
pKDf9EEysNZOzEBK-yWniMnki7_TxN4nMTkckFpLLnwzGCupOUMCsmsdgGEEk2qRnEerA9-
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21. SetiInstitute (2020) Ai and space data and managing our planet, YouTube. YouTube.
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH5cu5tsZ4M&t=1724s (Accessed:
December 11, 2022).
22. Smith, D. (2022) Scottish businesses bring space data down to Earth, Invest and Trade
Scotland - Scottish Development International. Available at: https://www.sdi.co.uk/news-
features/news-and-feature-articles/scottish-businesses-bring-space-data-down-to-earth
(Accessed: December 6, 2022).

23. Smythe, J. (2022) Best cybersecurity companies in the UK, Mighty Gadget Blog: UK
Technology News and Reviews. Mighty Gadget. Available at:
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4, 2022).

24. Swanson, J. (2014) What is Digital Transformation?, The Enterprisers Project. Available at:
https://enterprisersproject.com/what-is-digital-transformation (Accessed: December 6,
2022).
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innovation (Accessed: December 6, 2022).

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5. APPENDICES
Appendix 1. Top statistics

Total space industry income: £16.5 billion percentage breakdown is:

 Space applications: 74%

 Space manufacturing: 14%

 Space operations: 9%

 Ancillary services: 3%

Direct Employees: 47,000

Income from exports: £5.3 billion
Global ranking in private space investments: 2nd
Space organisations identified: 1,293
R&D expenditure: £836 million
Employees with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 73%

Appendix 2. Global exports

North America: 24%

Central and South America: 4%
Rest of Europe: 48%
Middle East and North Africa: 5%
Asia, Oceania and Sub-Saharan Africa: 19%

Regional Employment:

London: 27%
South East: 21%
Scotland: 18%
Rest of UK: 34%

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Further statistics:

The direct contribution of the UK space industry to UK GDP: £6.9 billion

Organisations expecting income growth over the next three years: 4 in 5
UK space industry labour productivity vs. national average: 2.6x

Note: Based on analysis of 1,293 UK-based space-related organisations in 2019/20. Source:

BryceTech (2022), Size & Health of the UK Space Industry 2021.

(UK Space Agency, 2021)

Appendix 3: Space Innovation and Growth Strategy 2014-2030 Space Growth Action Plan
Recommendation 1 Develop the high-value priority markets identified to deliver £30 billion
per annum of new space applications by promoting the benefits of Space to business and
Government and engaging service providers.

ACTION 1.1 Satellite Applications Catapult supported by UKspace, to undertake an

integrated marketing campaign to champion the use of space services, applications and data
in other sectors of the global economy.

Action 1.2 Satellite Applications Catapult supported by UKspace to develop a delivery

roadmap plan for each of the priority markets initially identified and to ensure that this
activity is coordinated with stakeholders and is visible to the SLC.

Action 1.3 Satellite Applications Catapult to update and re-validate priority market delivery
roadmaps at least annually.

Action 1.4 Technology Strategy Board to launch R&D calls that require cross-sector
collaboration as part of the call scope and require a business case that promotes value in
the space and recipient industries.

ACTION 1.5 UK Space Agency to lead the positioning of the UK’s exploitation of Earth
Observation data by supporting the community to implement a Climate Services Centre for
Europe in the UK.

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ACTION 1.6 UK Space Agency to work with the Earth Observation community to identify and
invest in new commercial opportunities for premium services beyond those supplied by
institutional satellites.

ACTION 1.7 UK Space Agency to move the National Space Applications Programme from a
set up to an operational phase, with the aim of increasing its base funding to a level twice
the current published budget by 2015.

Recommendation 2 Make the UK the best place to grow existing and new space businesses
and attract inward investment by providing a regulatory environment that promotes
enterprise and investment in the UK.

ACTION 2.1 UKspace to review the competitiveness of the UK’s Space business environment
on a three-yearly basis. The priority is to produce a regulatory benchmark report with
relevant evidence by March 2014.

ACTION 2.2 UK Space Agency to lead the creation of a Space Regulatory & Spectrum group,
reporting to the space leadership council (SLC), Department for business, innovation and
skills (bis) and Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Ministers, to prepare support for
the UK’s agreed Space growth agenda at international regulatory meetings, secure satellite
spectrum needed for new services, and provide advice and support for future regulatory
reform.

ACTION 2.3 Ofcom should prioritise the interests of UK satellite operator companies
creating wealth, employment and taxes in the UK, in matters related to access to
international satellite spectrum allocated by the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU), treatment of satellite network filings by the UK to the ITU and to framing of
international satellite regulations at the ITU.

ACTION 2.4 UK Space Agency to revise its guidance and due diligence process for Outer
Space Act licences such applicants or their parent groups must meet agreed targets in terms
of investment, jobs and use of UK services. They must also conduct the operations to be
licensed substantially from the UK and with their primary tax base from these operations in
the UK. To minimise the administrative burden for applicants this should be a common

17
criteria used by Ofcom when companies first apply for a satellite filing that will subsequently
need an OSA licence.

ACTION 2.5 UK Space Agency should simplify its licensing procedures wherever practicable
to reduce fees and introduce unambiguous, flexible and achievable criteria for SMEs and
start-up companies in the UK, taking into account the outputs of its regulatory working
group and the UK economic growth.

ACTION 2.6 UK Space Agency to champion policy and investment to establish a Space Port
in the UK by 2018 and identify further reforms to regulation needed to allow commercial
space flight in the UK.

Recommendation 3 Increase the UK’s returns from Europe by continuing to grow the UK’s
contributions to European Space Agency (ESA) programmes and securing greater influence
in large European-funded programmes.

ACTION 3.1 UK Space Agency to create a European Space Engagement plan.

ACTION 3.2 UKspace and the UK Space Agency to ensure the UK plays a bigger role in the
European space sector by seconding industry experts into the EU and other European
bodies.

ACTION 3.3 UK Space Agency supported by industry to promote the wider use of ESA PPPs
to drive ESA programmes into new services that the UK can exploit.

ACTION 3.4 UK Space Agency and UKspace to secure a British Operational Director position
at ESA in the next reorganisation as part of strengthening the presence of UK nationals in
senior positions in ESA.

Recommendation 4 Support the growth of UK Space exports from £2 billion to £25 billion
per annum by 2030 by launching a National Space Growth Programme and defining an
international policy that will improve collaboration with nations across the world, enhance
the UK’s competitive edge in export markets and enable targeted and market-led
investments in leading edge technology.

ACTION 4.1 UK Space Agency to establish and seek funding for a National Space Growth
Programme that enables the UK to seize growth opportunities that exploit bi-lateral

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collaboration with other nations, national technology research and demonstration, national
science projects and national missions in a way that secures continuity of funding for
planning and maximises value-for-money.

ACTION 4.2 UK Space Agency with HM Treasury should develop a repayable investment
funding mechanism similar in principle to the civil aviation “repayable launch investment”
scheme that can provide support for innovative platform, payload, services and/or
applications.

ACTION 4.3 UKspace to produce and update an economic analysis to demonstrate industry
has driven economic growth and social benefits from Government investment in ESA and
national programmes.

ACTION 4.4 The UK Space Agency to use the National Space Growth Programme to launch
three bi-lateral science projects with nations offering new opportunities for export growth.

ACTION 4.5 UK Space Agency and Technology Strategy Board to align R&D calls with the set
of market-led and prioritised technology roadmaps developed by the National Space
Technology Steering Group. This should include increasing the number of opportunities for
industry to demonstrate new innovative technologies in space.

Action 4.6 UK Space Agency to work with industry and academia to create a programme to
understand and spur increased commercial and Government investment into game-
changing technologies.

Action 4.7 UK Space Agency to establish a strategic export group and develop a high level
export promotion plan.

Action 4.8 SLC to promote the use of space to achieve overseas aid and other UK policy
objectives.

Action 4.9 UKspace to run four ‘Are you Export Ready’ symposia per year, aimed at SMEs.

Action 4.10 Technology Strategy Board and UK Trade & Investment to help secure 20 new
partnerships in the next 5 years by running missions to fast-growing overseas ‘hot spots’ in
priority markets.

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Action 4.11 UK Space Agency and UK Trade & Investment to develop a plan to support
world-leading companies establish space services and applications businesses in the UK.

Recommendation 5 Stimulate a vibrant regional space SME sector by improving the supply
of finance, business support, information, skills and industry support

ACTION 5.1 UKspace to run a Space Manufacturing and Services Supply Chain Challenge
with the aims of increasing the number of SMEs in the UK’s space supply chains and
increasing the number of suppliers to UK primes and first- tier companies by highlighting
opportunities for UK-based suppliers and improving supplier performance.

ACTION 5.2 Satellite Applications Catapult to provide a comprehensive package of measures

to support the growth of SMEs in the Space sector, with a single point of access, comprising
improved access to finance, business management tools, skills training, and mentoring. It
will promote these activities in regular regional road shows.

ACTION 5.3 Technology Strategy Board to elevate the current Space Special Interest Group
to become a full space community within the new Knowledge Transfer Network structure.

ACTION 5.4 UK Space Agency and Satellite Applications Catapult to develop a mutually
supportive national environment for Space with the Harwell Space Gateway acting as the
focus for UK inward investment by promoting the capabilities of regional clusters and
championing the use of regional centres of excellence.

ACTION 5.5 UK Space Agency and Satellite Applications Catapult to work with Northern
Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Local Economic Partnerships and Councils to develop regional
growth plans for Space and secure non-Space funding for new projects, centres-of-
excellence and business incubation centres across the UK.

Action 5.6 UK Space Agency, Satellite Applications Catapult, Research Councils and Regions
will develop a nationwide plan to co-ordinate investment in ground segment infrastructure
and technology centres-of-excellence to secure facilities that support exploitation and
growth, and provide value for money from Government investments and to ensure that the
UK takes a global lead in the exploitation of space infrastructure.

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ACTION 5.7 UK Space Agency to establish a national space skill ‘point of contact’ to support
SMEs in finding training in business and specialist skills that their staff need to succeed and
grow the business by supplying ‘one stop’ information about UK-based training providers.

ACTION 5.8 UK Space Agency to provide financial support for a cross disciplinary Space
Doctoral Training Centre that will support PhD Students that are moving into the Space
sector to build relevant specialist and business skills that are needed in both the upstream
and down-stream space sectors.

ACTION 5.9 UK space to lead, coordinating with the UK Space Agency and the sector skills
community, a National Schools Challenge to engage school children in the space flight of
Major Tim Peake. (Drayson, 2010)

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