Northern Ireland is well placed to become a UK leader in the routine adoption of satellite-enabled technologies across public services, according to a new report launched today by Economy Minister, Dr Caoimhe Archibald.

The Northern Ireland Space Enabled Region Pathfinder report was launched at AMIC Harbour, Belfast. It was commissioned by the Northern Ireland Space Office, funded by the UK Space Agency, and facilitated by Matrix, to identify opportunities for the adoption of satellite and space-based technologies into public services.

The report conducted by Firetail develops the Matrix’s March 2025 scoping study, ‘Building on our Strengths – Northern Ireland’s Growing Space Industry’, by taking that early analysis of the region’s space industry and translating it into practical opportunities for public service delivery.

77 use cases identified

The Pathfinder project has identified 77 potential use cases across ten data themes, including mapping, planning, enforcement, environmental monitoring, agriculture, flood response, afforestation, infrastructure management and public records.

The report finds that the strongest opportunities are those that cut across organisational boundaries, where a single dataset or service can benefit multiple departments. Northern Ireland’s existing Geographic Information System (GIS) capability, along with a supportive policy environment, provides strong foundations for scaling space-enabled solutions.

The key challenge identified is no longer proving the potential of satellite-enabled technologies, but creating the right conditions to enable adoption at scale.

Wider relevance across Europe

The findings also have relevance beyond Northern Ireland. Many of the challenges identified are common across European public authorities, and evidence from Eurisy shows similar applications are already delivering value elsewhere. Northern Ireland’s Pathfinder could therefore contribute to broader learning on how space-enabled technologies can be adopted routinely across public services in both the UK and Europe.

Commenting

Economy Minister, Dr Caoimhe Archibald said:

“This report fits with my economic priorities through the adoption of space-enabled technology to deliver sustainable solutions to help drive innovation and transformation across our public sector. This will be achievable by the sharing and use of current data for greater impact across the North and beyond.”

Robert Hill, Chair of Matrix, commented:

“Picking up from where our Space Scoping Study left off, the report embraces earth observation technology and demonstrates its potential to address at least 77 use case scenarios. That is a highly significant number, spanning a wide range of scenarios, and shows just how much opportunity exists for the public sector to benefit from these technologies.”

Lydia Green, Head of Unlocking Space at the UK Space Agency, said:

“There is a significant opportunity for space-enabled technologies to support innovation and transformation across the public sector. By taking a place-based approach, the Northern Ireland Space Enabled Region Pathfinder has identified practical applications where satellite data and services can help tackle regional challenges, improve outcomes for communities and support economic growth. We were pleased to partner with the Northern Ireland Space Office and Matrix and look forward to seeing these findings translated into action across Northern Ireland and beyond.”

Read the report

The full Northern Ireland Space Enabled Region Pathfinder report