The Cornwall Space Cluster will receive an additional £1m (US$1.2m) in funding to develop the Data, Space and Aerospace sectors in the southwest of the UK.
The funding has been provided by the Good Growth programme (£632,000/$766,000) and Innovate UK, the UK Space Agency and the private sector (£370,000/$488,000).
Currently, the data, space and aerospace secotrs support 1,300 jobs and deliver £100m ($120m) to the local economy. The Cornwall Space Cluster hopes to double the value of these sectors by 2030.
The Sector Development project aims to support this growth and therefore increase the value of the internationally recognised Cornwall Space Cluster, support the Future Flight ‘Open Skies Cornwall’ programme and provide additional resources for promotion and skills development for local businesses.
The programme will run until March 2025 and supports local businesses to;
- Pivot into the data, space and aerospace sectors – start up support and removing barriers to entry for established companies
- Attract public funding and private finance – bid writing for research and development and infrastructure projects and business case development for private/venture capital investments
- Attend events, trade shows and conferences to promote capabilities to local, national and international audiences
- Attract the right people and skills to support growth plans – development of recruitment strategies, workforce development programmes and help to find and retain people with specialist skills
- Secure contracts from the data, space and aerospace sectors as well as from adjacent sectors – for example, defence, marine, energy
- Engage with new research and development partners, collaborators, customers and investors in the data, space and aerospace sectors as well as in other technology clusters across the UK
The Sector Development team within Cornwall Council is working in partnership with Wholeship Ltd, who operate the Lizard Range, and Cornwall Airport Newquay to develop the Uncrewed Aerial Systems (drones) sector across the region.
It will also work closely with Goonhilly Earth Station, Spaceport Cornwall and key supply chain companies to develop the data and space sectors.
Image: Cornwall Space Cluster
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