Scotland’s space sector has established capabilities which include: satellite manufacturing; rocket manufacturing; launch facilities; and research and data analysis.
The number of space businesses in Scotland has increased by more than 65% since 2016 and the sector proportionately employs over twice as many people in Scotland as the rest of the UK.
In October 2021, the Scottish Government published A Strategy for Space in Scotland. The goals of the strategy are as follows:
- Developing the space sector such that it delivers an annual contribution to the Scottish economy in excess of f4bn and 20,000 jobs by 2030.
- Positioning Scotland as a global leader for commercial space developments.
- Establishing a range of managed launch and orbital services, supporting the largest launch capability in Europe.
- Developing a world-leading environmental strategy for Scotland’s space industry, from reducing emissions to supporting the use of satellite data for environmental monitoring.
- Building Scotland’s international economic opportunities through increased exports and targeted inward investment to plug critical gaps in capability.
The strategy identifies six high-level areas where specific plans need to be researched and developed in order to support the lofty goals laid out in the document.
Source: Scottish Government