McKenna over the moon as Downtown boldly goes into the space race
Liverpool-Based DIB will join forces with Comoo and the Northern Space Consortium to deliver a project to develop the Local Space Cluster and Supply Chain for the UK Space Agency. Tony McDonough reports
Business networking and lobby group Downtown In Business (DIB) is to help the UK Space Agency grow its regional supply chain.
Liverpool-Based DIB will join forces with Comoo and the Northern Space Consortium to deliver a project to develop the Local Space Cluster and Supply Chain for the UK Space Agency, an offshoot of the Government.
The project will see the consortium work to across the North West of England to deliver an engagement programme to help businesses get involved in the Space Sector.
The agency is responsible for efforts to explore and benefit from space, ensuring that the UK retains and grows a strategic capability in space-based systems, technologies, science and applications.
A key priority of the UK Space Agency is to capture 10% of the global market for space by 2030. This call supports the development of locally-led propositions and plans that will support the growth of regional space sector clusters and supply chains.
Downtown is ideally placed to help with this thanks to its network of members businesses in locations across the North West. The space sector offers the potential for up to 100,000 skilled jobs and billions of pounds in export opportunities.
Thanks to the presence of Airbus in Deeside there is already a well-established aerospace supply chain in the North West offering skills that could be utilised in the space sector.
DIB chief executive Frank McKenna said: “Space plays an increasingly essential role in our daily lives. As a sector, it continues to provide an excellent opportunity to grow the UK economy and provide the new services and applications that contribute to an ever more connected world.”
Alan Cross, the European Space Agency business applications regional ambassador, added: “Space is a critical industry to the UK and, considering the experience and skills across our region, offers business a great opportunity.
“This programme of analysis and engagement represents a major escalation of our region’s ambitions in innovation and growth, and it’s delivery could not be more timely.”