New figures on growth in UK space industry

28 September 2008, 10:17am

British National Space Centre - 28 September 2008

Science minister reveals new figures on growth in UK space industry

The UK's space and satellite telecommunications industry has seen its turnover nearly double in the last seven years and looks set to continue to grow strongly, Science and Innovation Minister Ian Pearson will tell a major international gathering in Glasgow tomorrow.

The UK space industry continues to show strong growth, with the sector growing by nearly 8 per cent in 2006/07 and an overall turnover of £5.8 billion, a new report has found.

The Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2008 report shows that services continue to be the dominant sector in terms of both overall size (85 per cent and worth £5 billion) and growth (8 per cent).

The report also reveals that total employment in the UK space industry stands at nearly 19,000, with over 1,600 new jobs created in 2006/07. Of the total, more than 5,800 jobs in the systems sector are amongst the most highly skilled in the UK economy, with 60 per cent of staff holding a first degree and one third of these also having a second degree.

The Science and Innovation Minister Ian Pearson, who will launch the report at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Glasgow tomorrow, said that the Government recognised the importance of the space industry.

He said: "Space is increasingly important in all our lives. Satellite communications have made the massive growth in digital TV, global monitoring telephony, internet traffic and other broadband services possible. They play a vital role in understanding how our climate is changing. The space industry makes a significant contribution to the UK economy. By its very nature it's highly innovative and is one of the highest value adding sectors. It will play a significant part in driving forward the UK's future knowledge economy.

"The UK should be proud of its world leading capabilities in telecommunications and small satellites.

"Achievements this year include the completion of the Skynet 5 constellation built by Astrium and the launch of five RapidEye satellites based on the Surrey Satellite Technology Limited platform. Alphasat, being built in Britain, is set to bring affordable communications to the developing world."

The theme of this year's 59th IAC, last held in the UK in 1987, is 'from imagination to reality' and starts on Monday 29 September.

The event is being held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre and opens to the public from 4pm Wednesday 1 October through
to 12 noon on Friday 3 October.

On Friday 3 October, the winner of the joint BNSC/SSTL Space Experiment Competition, which challenged 14 - 19 year-olds in UK schools to design and build a small compact satellite instrument to by flown in space in 2010, will be announced by South Korea's first astronaut, Soyeon Yi.

A new UK Space Directory is also being launched at the IAC tomorrow. The publication lists over 150 organisations involved in this sector of the UK economy. It has been produced in partnership between the Society of British Aerospace Companies, the Aerospace and Defence
Knowledge Transfer Network, and the British National Space Centre (BNSC).

www.bnsc.gov.uk

Geo: International