Industry Event Takes Space South Central North
Earlier this month, some of the Space South Central team headed north to join space clusters, companies and academics from around the UK for two national space sector events in Leeds. Our Business Development Manager, Dan Smith, tells us more.
Although Space South Central represents the space sector in Hampshire, Surrey, and the Isle of Wight, our connections and work take us all around the UK and abroad. This time, the destination was Leeds for the UK Space Agency’s annual conference and exhibition, Ignite Space, followed by a UK Space Ecosystem (UKSE) event hosted by the Satellite Applications Catapult.
Ignite Space, 11-12 June
Held at the Royal Armouries, Ignite Space was a two-day event delivered by Space Hub Yorkshire and UMi to support SMEs and start-ups, aimed at bringing the commercial sector, academia and the space ecosystem together. It provided conference elements where we heard from a wide array of speakers, networking space for those all-important business-to-business conversations, and thematic zones for us to explore areas of common interest around specific talks.
We showcased two of our programmes, Cosmic Capital - aimed at getting space businesses investment-ready - and SpaceCraft, which gives companies access to expert training and cutting-edge specialist facilities to upskill and accelerate the development of their innovations.
More than 500 visitors attended over the two days, with several Space South Central companies represented, including Merks & Clerk, and Airbus. Among the speakers were Phil Merchant from Merks & Clerk and Mohamed Ahmed from Surrey Space Centre, with UK Space’s Colin Baldwin closing the event.
Ignite Space makes exhibiting at a major space industry event accessible for SMEs and start-ups, with low-cost pricing for exhibition space. It was a wonderful event and fantastic to see one aimed squarely at SMEs and start-ups. The engagement from everyone across the two days was infectious and we’re already looking forward to 2025’s Ignite Space in Leicester.
UKSE Collaborators event, 13 June
Our third day in Leeds was for the UKSE collaborators' event, bringing together space clusters from across the UK where the topic of resilient communications was very much the theme. An incredibly important and developing area of the space sector. We heard updates, and developments from the Catapult and industry, and spent time as a cluster network to consider our role in helping take this forward.
A wonderful three days, which highlighted the value of in-person meetings and connections, alongside online ones. On a local level, our free monthly Orbit South Central events are more popular than ever, giving delegates from across the space sector to hear from expert speakers and make new contacts. All are welcome, so come along!
Check out our Events page to see what space industry events are coming up.
