Space sector growth in the UK under spotlight at major industry event

The role the space sector is playing in driving economic growth in the UK was highlighted this week at Space-Comm Scotland, the industry gathering held at Glasgow’s SEC.

A panel session titled How Space Is Creating Growth in the North of England outlined how a connected and scalable industrial base is helping attract investment, build a future workforce, and open new export routes for the country’s growing space economy.

The discussion featured David Moody, the newly appointed Director of Northumbria’s North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST) – a national space asset currently being developed at Northumbria University. Located in the heart of the University’s Newcastle city campus, NESST is the result of a £50 million investment with partners including the UK Space Agency and Lockheed Martin UK Space.

Moody emphasised that NESST, which is scheduled to open in 2026, will play a critical role in building the talent pipeline needed to meet rising demand across the sector.       

"Having access to the right skilled workforce at the right time at the right place is absolutely critical to capitalising on the latent Space capability of the UK and ensuring the UK maintains its standing as a leading space nation. There are many transferable technical and leadership skills in other sectors", he said, citing how those working in aerospace, automotive, robotics and computing could easily contribute to the space sector. 

"With coordinated investment from the Government, academia and industry into a space skills pipeline, the North can lead space innovation, provide rewarding employment, support international exports and build national resilience."

The panel was convened by Nik Smith, regional director for Space UK and Europe at Lockheed Martin, who is working with partners in the region to strengthen skills, drive innovation and support the UK’s national space capability.

Smith pointed to increasing security threats in space and said the UK needs to align its space, security and resilience policies to protect national interests.

“National security and deterrence mean the UK must align space, security and resilience nationally,” he said.

The panel, which also included Alan Whittaker, head of operations at RTC North, discussed practical steps to improve collaboration between industry, academia, government and international partners. It also examined the role of small and medium-size enterprises and the contribution NESST could make to developing the next generation of space specialists.

‘Bridging the space skills gap’ was also the theme of another panel discussion at Space-Comm Scotland this week. Dr Richard Binns, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education in Northumbria’s Faculty of Science and Environment, joined leaders from industry, academia, and government for a conversation where the message was clear: collaboration is key to building the space workforce of tomorrow.

The panel discussed the importance of experiential learning through hands-on projects, industry placements and applied research and why this is essential for today’s graduates.

“Universities must ensure graduates are equipped not just with theory, but with the practical skills and real-world experience that industry demands,” said Dr Binns.

“Our new Aerospace Satellite Engineering courses have been designed to ensure that our curriculum meets real sector needs and provides opportunities that bring theory to life.”

Interested in helping to bridge the space skills gap and getting involved in our collaborative opportunities? Learn more about Space at Northumbria at www.northumbria.ac.uk/space.