Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 25
25
Accepted
Paragraph: 118
Clusters, such as those in Harwell and Glasgow, can be established in different ways and...
Recommendation
Clusters, such as those in Harwell and Glasgow, can be established in different ways and clearly bring benefits to the UK space sector. We welcome UK Space Agency’s (UKSA’s) announcements of at least some funding for the establishment of further clusters, and we particularly commend any such innovation outside the South East of England and London. However, the funding provided to support these new clusters was very limited and is therefore likely to prevent new clusters developing at pace. The UKSA should set out in response to this Report its plans for each of the new clusters, what support it plans to provide and what outcomes it is aiming at, including how many companies it aims to attract to each region and how many jobs it aims to create.
Government Response Summary
The Satellite Applications Catapult is a UKSA delivery partner providing co-investment into Centres of Excellence, and UKSA awarded the Catapult a multi-year grant in 2022 for ‘local growth collaboration'; Levelling Up is a Government priority, promoting space in local economic strategies and supporting the development of local space clusters.
Paragraph Reference:
118
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Satellite Applications Catapult is a UKSA delivery partner for local growth, providing co- investment into Centres of Excellence for Satellite Applications since 2016 and working collaboratively to provide bespoke and targeted interventions at the regional level to promote and grow the space sector. UKSA awarded the Satellite Applications Catapult a multi-year grant in 2022 for ‘local growth collaboration’, harnessing the Catapult’s unique expertise and resource to deliver business support and cluster development activities across UKSA’s local growth programmes. Levelling Up is a Government priority. We are growing the space economy in every region of the UK by promoting space in local economic strategies, supporting the development of local space clusters that build upon regional expertise and facilities, funding incubators and business support for space companies and entrepreneurs and supporting knowledge exchange across the country. the UK space ecosystem through its support for clusters.