Space South Central at Ignite Space 2023
Ignite Space 2023 took place this March at Bristol Aerospace. The event, hosted by BBC presenter Dallas Campbell, brought together many different parts of the UK space community, all under the wings of the iconic Concorde.
Space South Central was in attendance in the cluster zone. The zone brought together space clusters from all over the UK, from Scotland to the South Coast, showcasing capabilities and creating opportunities to build cross-regional relationships. Kicking off the first main stage session was ‘Find Your Place in Space – Space Clusters and the UK Ecosystem’, hosted by Joel Freedman and Gail Eastaugh. This session highlighted the lessons to be learned from other sectors, how clusters support opportunities for collaboration, and how businesses can get involved. Our very own cluster was able to talk about the role of clusters in international engagements.
The event also housed a business zone, where Farnborough-based space business, KISPE, demonstrated EssentialSat, their cubesat training satellite.
The Space South Central team took part in a Cluster Zone workshop. The session explored thematic clusters and gathered important views from cluster members on supporting national objectives like growing exports.
Doug Liddle of In-Space Missions, and a member of the Space South Central Advisory Board, was a panelist in the Skills Zone’s Main Stage Session. Over the hour, the Space Skills Advisory Board was discussed, the new UK Space Agency skills lead, Temi Shogelola, was introduced and the panel outlined plans for the Space Academy. However, the panel's main objective was to discuss the ever-present space sector skills gap, how it can be tackled, and the talent needed to support the future of the UK space growth.
Once the event closed, drinks and chat flowed. Ignite attendees had the chance to participate in Space Bar Live, an informal and interactive session organised by Astro Agency and hosted by Dallas Campbell and Dr Suzie Imber. Guests spoke passionately about the important topic of space sustainability, the value of STEM outreach, and cluster collaboration. A great way to close a packed day of talks, exhibits and workshops.
