Lochhead to set out Scotland's space ambitions at UK Space Agency summit

Innovation Minister Richard Lochhead will today set out Scotland’s space ambitions at a UK Space Agency summit in Edinburgh.

In an interview with Holyrood, Lochhead said the space industry is one of the “star attractions” in Scotland’s emerging technology sector. 

He will tell the UK Space Agency’s Space Investment Forum that the country intends to capture a £4bn share of the global space market and expects to employ 20,000 in the space sector within a decade in jobs such as manufacturing small satellites or supporting rocket launches.

SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland is in line to host the UK’s first vertical launch later this year, with Mr Lochhead expected to tell the investors attending the summit that “space is one of the key industries the Scottish Government has pinpointed as an economic priority”.

“Recent developments mean we are, quite genuinely, on the cusp of something new and exhilarating,” he said.

“We are ideally located for launching satellites into orbit and projects at SaxaVord and Sutherland are progressing well.

“Our biggest city, Glasgow, hosts a thriving satellite manufacturing hub and our space supply chain is working flat out to grasp the transformational opportunities presented.

“These range from developing zero emissions rocket launches to using data generated from space to tackle climate change. Space opens a window that allows mankind to observe our world with ever greater clarity.

“Scotland has set some of the most ambitious targets for cutting emissions anywhere. The space industry can propel our green and growing economy to new heights.”

The summit, which is being held at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, will open with an address from UK Space Agency future markets lead Dan Jones, and will include a panel on demystifying space chaired by Holyrood editor Mandy Rhodes.

Dr Meganne Christian, reserve astronaut and exploration commercialisation lead at the UK Space Agency, will deliver the keynote address.

The UK Space Agency, which was established in 2010, is an executive agency of the UK Government and is responsible for the country's civil space programme.