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UKspace, Intellect and the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), the trade associations representing the UK space industry, welcome the Government’s visionary UK Space Strategy 2008-12, which was launched today (14 February 2008). The space industry supports 70,000 jobs and is worth £7 billion to the UK economy. Today’s strategy sets out measures to increase the UK share of this growing market.
In a week that sees speeches on space by France’s President, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, the UK Space Strategy seeks to maintain Britain’s competitiveness in an increasingly crowded field. At the heart of its new Space Strategy, the Government has set the ambitious target of growing the UK’s share of this high growth global space market by 2015.
The Strategy commits Britain to growing its 7% share of the global market. It also recognises the crucial role Government continues to play in the sector’s future.
Services derived from space touch the lives of everyone living in the UK and have a role to play in helping deliver some of the Government’s major objectives including digital inclusion, healthcare, climate change, security, an aging population and congestion as well as inspiring the younger generation to study science. Space derived applications include consumer products delivering digital television and guiding you to your destination. UKspace Chair, John Auburn, said: "The UK is a world leader in satellite technology, developing some of the most advanced products on the planet for use above it. We share the Government’s vision of a sustainable future for satellite production. The challenge for us all, in industry, academia and Government, is to work together to turn this vision into a reality.
"Industry welcomes recognition of the importance of Government investment in technology. In particular their investment in the European Space Agency (ESA) Technology Programmes and the proposal to set up a dedicated National Space Technology Programme."
John Higgins, director of technology trade association, Intellect said:
"Space is a great opportunity for Britain and one where we have a winning recipe of high quality innovation, skill and finance. Three points of the space strategy stand out as having enormous market development potential: the introduction of a space-based solution in at least two new areas in the Government’s policy agenda, the proposed new ESA facility in the UK and recognition of the importance of public procurement in encouraging private investment in the sector. Working with the British National Space Centre, we will do our utmost to ensure that a large proportion of the growing space market comes to the UK."
Ian Godden, Chief Executive of SBAC, said:
"In Britain, we have a winning formula in space. We have cutting-edge space innovation, the most highly skilled workforce in UK manufacturing, the best space science and the most dynamic financial community in the world. In Britain, we have created the most competitive space industry in the world – we take space innovation from the lab to the market quicker than anyone else."
UKspace Chair, John Auburn, continued:
"As the strategy recognises for the first time, the UK space industry is one of the highest value-adding sectors in Britain, employing one of the most highly-skilled workforces, and is six times more R&D intensive than the UK average. Satellites provide the tools to build a sustainable world, a safer planet, and a better quality of life. The UK Space Strategy provides the policy tools to keep the UK at the front of the new space race.
"The UK space industry is growing faster than China. But the global space industry is growing even faster. We will have to work hard to keep up with one the world’s most dynamic, value adding sectors. This is an ambitious aim and we welcome the challenge. But we will need to work in partnership with Government to realise this vision."
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