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New report reveals Scotland's space industry is rocketing





Scotland’s space sector has grown substantially in recent years with new companies and jobs created, according to a newly published report.

The Size & Health of the UK Space Industry 2022 report shows that income from the sector in Scotland rose by almost £40 million into 2021 – from £141 million to £180 million.

The number of organisations within the industry increased from 144 to 183 and employment also surged from 8,440 jobs to 8,568.

More widely, income across the UK space sector grew from £16.5 billion to £17.5 billion and the number of space organisations rose from 1,293 to 1,590, creating 1,800 new jobs.

The sector now employs 48,800 people and supports at least 126,800 UK jobs across the wider supply chain.

The report was produced by know.space, a specialist space economic consultancy
The report was produced by know.space, a specialist space economic consultancy

The report was produced by know.space, a specialist space economic consultancy based in London and Dublin, and which states it aims to be the “source of authoritative economic knowledge for the space industry”.

Figures for the 2020/21 financial year are based on research into 1,590 UK-based organisations with space-related activities, along with responses to a survey conducted.

The findings come ahead of the first vertical rocket launches which are expected to take place from Scottish space ports - including Space Hub Sutherland - within the next year.

The report adds that space continues to attract a diverse range of investors with most (89.9 per cent) from the private sector.

It states: “There has been a steady upward trend in both the number of investments (from one in 20212 to 34 last year) and the population of investors (from one in 2012 to 66 last year)."

UK government Minister for Scotland John Lamont said: “These figures underline the growing significance of Scotland’s contribution to the UK space industry.

“From world-class small satellite manufacturing to what we expect will be the first vertical rocket launches from UK soil later this year, Scotland has expert capability throughout the life cycle of space technology projects."

UK Space Agency chief executive Dr Paul Bate said: “The £1 billion increase in sector income and £635 million investment generated by UK companies shows the confidence of investors and businesses in the UK space sector.

“The UK Space Agency will continue to catalyse investment to maintain this positive growth and bring further benefits across the UK economy, the science community and to the planet as a whole."

The full report will be published on the UK Space Agency website.


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