£2.5m investment for North East space sector
November 19, 2024
The North East’s reputation for space research and innovation has been recognised with the announcement of £2.5 million (€3m) from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The funding has been awarded to a consortium of academic, civic and industry partners who together will form the North East Space Communications Accelerator (NESCA), which is one of EPSRC’s place-based impact acceleration accounts (IAAs).
IAAs aim to deliver impact activities to benefit a research and innovation cluster, in collaboration with civic, business, and other local stakeholders.
Over the next four years NESCA will build on recent investment in space skills, research and innovation in the region, creating new opportunities for knowledge exchange that lead to quality impact, including high-skilled jobs and economic growth.
NESCA is a collaboration between Northumbria, Durham, and Newcastle universities, the North East Combined Authority, Space North East England, and the North East Space Leadership Group, as well as 14 industry partners.
It aims to support the UK’s ambition to become a leader in the global space industry by bringing together academic research with business and commercial expertise to contribute directly to the growth of the national space ecosystem.
Professor Vincent Barrioz (pictured), of Northumbria University’s Department of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering, leads the project.
Barrioz commented: “The North East is recognised as a prime location for the rapid growth of space innovation, skills development, investment, and industry, which, if nurtured, will transform the industrial landscape of the region. NESCA will provide the structure and resources to ensure that innovation taking place in our universities is driven by, aligned with, and delivered in collaboration with regional partners to deliver place-based impact. Specifically, it will bridge the gap between space research and industry-ready products launching in the market.”
NESCA will focus primarily on the development of new resilient space communications technology – a key element of many space applications and an area in which the North East has already developed a reputation for excellence.
The funding will support three key strands of focus over the next four years – innovation, place and people.
An innovation fund will support promising ideas through the commercialisation process, from proof of concept and feasibility towards market.
A proportion of this will be made available for universities and organisations outside of the North East region who have specific expertise in space communications-related research.
The place strand will focus on delivering regional and national priorities for the space sector, including promoting the North East at national and international space industry events, and increasing public awareness of the space sector through engagement activity. This will be achieved in partnership with the newly established North East Combined Authority, led by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness.
Meanwhile the people strand will focus on providing the skills required within the space sector, from student summer schools, to continued professional development for those already working within the industry.