The UK Space Agency made a funding announcement at the recent UKSA conference, with NI Space as one of the 10 cluster organisations to benefit from a £1.6 million investment.
Enabling NI SPACE to enhance engagement and collaboration with the public sector.
In a report entitled ‘Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2024‘ also released at the conference by the UK Space Agency there were 62 space related organisations highlighted as currently operating in Northern Ireland, generating £104m in income, supporting more than 540 jobs in the 2022/2023 financial year. Northern Ireland also notably recorded a 135 per cent increase in its space sector workforce during this period.
Robert Hill (Director of NI SPACE Office and Matrix Chair) commented – “The recent figures released by the UK Space Agency highlight just how far we’ve come and how much the sector has achieved. This additional support from the UK Space Agency will help us to build on that momentum, strengthening collaborations, boosting new opportunities and ensuring that Northern Ireland continues to play a vital role in the UK’s space ambitions, however, there is still more work to do. We need sustained support in order to fully unlock the potential of space technologies across the region.”
He added: “We have a large number of organisations and companies that are contributing to the sector, including those that are pioneering innovation, engineering and research and Northern Ireland is increasingly being recognised on the global stage for its talent and technical capabilities.”