University shares in multi-million-pound space innovation funding

The University of South Wales (USW) is a partner in a £2 million project which is one of 17 to share millions of pounds of funding from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) to drive the next wave of space innovation.

Through its National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), the £17 million UKSA investment will accelerate breakthrough technologies, boost commercialisation, and reinforce the UK’s global leadership in space innovation. 

The selected projects span five strategic themes critical to the UK’s space ambitions - space domain awareness, in-orbit servicing and manufacturing, Earth observation, satellite communications, and position, navigation and timing.  

Together, these projects will deliver transformative technologies to enhance climate monitoring, improve connectivity, enable sustainable satellite operations, and strengthen national security. From quantum communications and robotic servicing tools to AI-powered pollution tracking and refuellable propulsion systems, these innovations will help build a resilient and competitive UK space sector. 

The £2 million project involving USW will see the University work alongside B2Space Ltd and SuperSharp Space Systems to create a UK-led Earth observation system using high-altitude platforms with advanced sensors, satcom connectivity, and onboard AI. 

After unveiling the funding, UK Space Minister Liz Lloyd said: “Space technology benefits people’s lives every day - from checking the weather to navigating your car journey home from work. This funding backs the brilliant UK innovators developing the next generation of space technology.  

“By supporting our space sector, we’re strengthening the UK’s position as a world leader in space innovation and building technologies that will benefit people across the country for years to come.”

NSIP’s newly-funded projects will also deliver tangible public value. Together, these projects are anticipated to create up to 140 skilled jobs across the UK, strengthening the talent pipeline in engineering, data science, and advanced manufacturing. 

Professor Mark Sims and Professor Anna Hogg, Space Academic Network (SPAN) Co-Chairs, said: “We are pleased to see how the UKSA NSIP programme enables great innovation across industry and academia, often jointly supporting the development of real future technologies for the UK space sector.   

“The strengthening of collaboration between industry and academia over the last decade clearly demonstrates the power of working together.  The wide variety of technologies now being developed through NSIP is exciting to see, each one representing an opportunity to advance the sector and drive future growth.”

This new investment from the UKSA builds on the UK’s £18 billion space sector, which continues to grow rapidly and is a leading destination for space investment globally. 

UKspace Executive Director, Colin Baldwin, said: “We offer our congratulations to all the successful recipients of these awards. This investment expands the impact of the NSIP and provides the opportunity for space companies and academic institutions to develop innovative new sovereign capability that strengthens the UK in several important areas.”  

The UK recently agreed a £1.7 billion investment in European Space Agency (ESA) programmes, boosting the UK’s total commitment to £2.8 billion over the next decade. This funding will sustain thousands of high-skilled jobs, drive innovation, and deliver benefits for people and businesses - from improved connectivity to more resilient infrastructure.

Every £1 invested in ESA returns £7.49 to the UK economy, with contracts flowing back to UK industry and universities.