In many ways, the UK space sector is thriving. We have a vibrant, talented, experienced set of organisations across the country that possess high levels of expertise and are delivering innovative capabilities and technologies.
However, some organisations, particularly SMEs and start-ups, don’t always find it easy to break through. There are steps we can take to simplify processes and give small companies the support they need – which must be the responsibility of industry and government alike.
With this context in mind, two significant questions present themselves. Firstly, where are the limitations in the current UK space ecosystem? And secondly, how can we as a collective best leverage innovation across the public and private sectors to meaningfully drive our economy and national capabilities forwards over the coming decade?
Challenges for SMEs
To answer the first question, I find myself thinking back to my time running a small space company in the form of In-Space Missions. In the beginning, we spent a few years pivoting and innovating before developing multi-use platforms for hosted payloads and technology demonstrations. Eventually we ended up focusing on software-defined satellites – which of course we’re still pursuing as part of BAE Systems Digital Intelligence through our Azalea programme.
During those early days, the UK MOD was strongly engaged with us through the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), which was incredibly supportive of what we were doing. We also received timely support from the UK Space Agency, InnovateUK and the European Space Agency – securing some key grant funding which enabled us to grow our ideas and helped validate that we were on the right track.
However, this wasn’t and isn’t the story for many small space companies across the country. There are so many success stories like ours that are waiting to be unlocked, but we must make it easier for government to access the pool of capable SMEs we have in this country – many with key pieces of technology that could be absolute game-changers in terms of the innovation they could deliver to the sector.
We can take inspiration from other nations. For example, the US invests in the space capabilities of its SMEs in areas such as critical national infrastructure, national security and national defence as a matter of course. Closer to home, we can look to France, which has developed and procured a number of operational systems from its own industry. This has enabled it to build a space sector that has capability and resilience, a deep supply chain, and a robust workforce.
Here in the UK, there’s no reason why we can’t reach the same level. It’s the job of industry and academia – where the majority of the expertise and experience resides – to work with government stakeholders to build maturity of understanding at a national level and help drive progress. To provide clear messaging around the opportunities and threats presented by the space domain. And to promote the importance of investing in operational capabilities as part of a collaborative approach.
Deepening government-industry relationships
In the current market environment, focused internal investment by industry in light of uncertain and evolving customer requirements is creating a stimulus for new models of engagement between industry and government. A range of partnership models will deliver much more value and capability than traditional procurement.
There is more work to be done to make this realised, however the onus isn’t just on government. Industry must leave their badges at the door, coming together in partnership with government to create a long-term roadmap with commitment on both sides that can ensure investment to deliver transformational space enabled capabilities to the UK.
As a group, we in industry need to keep working to make it easier to bring SME capabilities into the fold as part of our solution and guide them through some of the commercial roadblocks that exist. Why is this so important? Because a mature UK industry enabled by a vibrant SME culture is what can help us move beyond R&D and demonstration missions into world-class, operational capability programmes.
We want to see ongoing supply chain growth in the UK, as well as ensuring resilience and capability development. So, wherever possible, we need to be folding innovation into the supply chain and industry and government needs to find ways to simplify on-boarding and contractual conditions to encourage SMEs – many of which have received large amounts of private investment – into the sector.
Leveraging wider SME capabilities in this way will enable the UK to meet its sovereign needs, to collaborate and share from a position of strength with other governments. Similarly, home-grown capabilities procured by the UK government will create strong export potential for UK plc, providing benefits both economically and in terms of influence on the international stage.
Time for urgency
Finally, we must recognise that speed is of the essence. As a country, the UK has a pressing need to better understand its adversaries, control its borders and monitor its critical national infrastructure. As the same time, mankind is facing urgent questions around climate change.
Space, with its inherent global reach and resilience, will play a critical enabling role in tackling all of these areas through dual-use functionality, delivering assured Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Earth Observation (EO) capabilities.
Crucially, the operational capabilities to be delivered from space are no longer the things to be done in 10-20 years. We need these capabilities now if we are to adequately address the pressing needs facing us. And the good news is that the right expertise and capabilities exist in the UK – we don’t need to look overseas. The requirement is on us as a collective to build deeper connections between government and industry. By doing so, we can tap into that expertise and take our space operational capabilities to the next level for the greater benefit of the UK and beyond.