Three business incubation centres across the UK – including one in the NOC’s Innovation Centre – have been awarded £150,000 from the UK Space Agency.
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is working to deliver world-class science innovation support, in line with the government’s Industrial Strategy, which emphasises the importance of science, innovation and skills.
The centres – in the Solent, Scotland and the south west of England – will support start-up companies by providing advice and support, giving access to facilities and resources and collaborating on events and initiatives with other business incubators.
Just under £50,000 has gone to a joint scheme between NOC’s Marine Robotics Innovation Centre and the University of Portsmouth’s Innovation Space. The money will be used to provide an innovation hub in Southampton with world-leading expertise in developing next generation Marine Autonomous Systems and a business incubation centre in Portsmouth.
Adam Schink, Innovation Centre Manager at the NOC said “We are delighted to have secured this award from UKSA, and look forward to working alongside the University of Portsmouth to provide an incubation space and training programme for new businesses in development of Marine Autonomous Systems and satellite applications.”
“The Innovation Centre is perfectly placed to provide support to start-ups and maximise the commercialisation potential of technological solutions for the emerging global market.”
Sarah Duckering, Director of Research and Innovation Services at the University of Portsmouth, said “The University of Portsmouth already hosts the South Coast Regional Centre for Excellence for Satellite Application who are key to promoting economic growth in the UK’s space sector. This announcement kicks-off an exciting collaboration between leading south coast institutes to support and foster promising start-up companies.”
The space sector is a UK success story, with growth averaging over 8% a year over the past decade, a turnover in excess of £11bn a year and ambitious plans to achieve 10% of the global space market by 2030.
Helen Roberts, regional growth manager at the UK Space Agency, said “We are delighted to extend the network of incubators supporting space sector start-ups to cover even more of the UK. We look forward to working with them and seeing them help exciting new businesses to develop and flourish.”