This year’s North East Space Conference will be held on March 22, at the Radisson Blu in Durham.
The North East Satellite Applications Centre of Excellence (NESACoE) is inviting businesses to learn more about the region’s growing space industry at the event, which will explore the current priorities for the space sector in a series of presentations and discussions.
Four early-stage businesses, which have raised $40 million in total and were recently listed in Sifted’s Spacetech report, will be sharing their experiences of raising investment, while global space technology investors Seraphim Capital will be speaking about the work they do to support space entrepreneurship from inception to exit.
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Leader of Durham County Council, said: “The conference will be a great opportunity for businesses already in the space sector and those that are keen to get more involved to hear first-hand about the very latest developments and opportunities from experts in the sector.”
Lockheed Martin, which is sponsoring this year’s event, announced last year that it is exploring options for a new facility in the North East. Its regional director for UK and Europe, Lockheed Martin Space Nik Smith, said: “We are committed to making the UK one of the most prosperous and capable space sectors in the world and we recognise the rich talent that sits within the North East. With more than 500 existing suppliers across the UK, 75 percent of them being SMEs, we’re thrilled to sponsor the Annual North East Space Conference as we progress our investment options and look for new partners.”
Other sponsors include Durham University, Northumbria University and Invest North East England. NESACoE has also received support and funding over the last nine years from organisations including Business Durham, the Satellite Applications Catapult and the UK Space Agency to grow the sector in the region.
The space sector now includes over 50 companies in the North East, with a workforce of almost 1,400 people and income generated of more than £113 million, and is continuing to grow.
