Scotland’s space sector is set to receive a £4.6m boost as the UK Space Agency confirmed new funding to accelerate breakthrough technologies.
A £3.7m sum from the Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) will support four Scottish universities in advancing innovations in satellites and ways of monitoring pollution from space.
The announcement comes as Space-Comm Expo Scotland opens at Glasgow’s SEC campus, the biggest space industry event ever held in the country, attended by more than 2,300 delegates, 100 speakers and 80 exhibitors.
Dr Natasha Nicholson, chief executive of Space Scotland, said the investment was a vote of confidence in the country’s space sector, noting the strength of the research base and the talent driving advancements in secure communications, environmental monitoring and resilient navigation — technologies that will shape the future of global space infrastructure.
The University of Strathclyde will develop a satellite navigation system that doesn’t rely on GPS and will also receive further support as part of a consortium led by the University of Bristol, developing a UV-based device to enable secure data transmission between satellites and strengthen cybersecurity in orbit.
Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill, giving a keynote speech at the expo, described the Scottish space sector as “a vitally important industry”, highlighting globally renowned expertise in designing and building satellites and rockets, world-leading universities and research centres analysing and applying space data, a commitment to sustainability and unrivalled geographical launch advantages.
Scottish government Business Minister Richard Lochhead said the funding will help accelerate the industry, adding that Scotland’s space sector and wider supply chain is already delivering significant economic potential and helping solve important challenges from climate change to telecommunications.
A further £350,000 will go to Space Scotland to strengthen capabilities in Earth Observation and In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (ISAM), fostering new partnerships between academia, industry and government. Another £410,000 will support the OXYGEN project, aimed at making lunar exploration more sustainable, with partners including the University of Glasgow.
The two-day event will feature talks and panels on spaceports, rocket launches, satellite manufacturing, computing, AI and robotics. Speakers include James “JD” Polk, chief health and medical officer at Nasa, astronaut and pilot David Mackay, and Dr Sian Proctor, the first woman commercial spaceship pilot.
According to Space Agency statistics, Scotland accounts for 13% of total UK space sector employment, with around 7,120 people employed, making it the third-largest employer after London (33%) and the South East (17%).