Space West Newsletter June 2025
Welcome
Welcome to the June edition of our Space West Newsletter. With each newsletter, we aim to share the most recent discoveries, advancements, and stories from the world of Space in the South West.
About Space West
The Space West programme is hosted by NCC and is funded by the UK Space Agency. It is supported by founding partners including the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, the Centre for Modelling and Simulation, the University of Bath, the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England. Reinforced by strong endorsement from industry champions, the Space Cluster has provided the momentum for the development of an ambitious and timely regional space strategy.
Space West Steering Board Member Professor Lucy Berthoud, from the University of Bristol and Co-Chair of the Space Universities Network presented evidence to the House of Lords Committee on the UK’s engagement with the space sector. She was joined by Dr Heidi Thiemann from the Space Skills Alliance to highlight the current challenges and opportunities related to skills in the sector. Key points raised included:
- Short-term grants provide more challenges to universities delivery space relating to education and training
- A UK space skills taskforce should be considered, prioritizing three aims: strengthening the domestic pipeline, upskilling and reskilling, and retaining talent
- Greater co-ordination and leadership are needed to effectively address -skills gaps and workforce development
- Mid-career level challenges remain significant and conversion courses could play a key role in enabling engineers within the space sector
Select more to watch the session.
The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025 outlines a 10 year plan to boost innovation and growth, spotlighting the space sector as a key frontier industry under the Advance Manufacturing Sector Plan. Key highlights included:
- 80 million investments over five years to develop strategic space capabilities, satellite communications, Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), In-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM), space domain awareness, and space data
- Private capital support via new investment framework and initiatives like National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) and Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund (SCIF)
- Regulatory innovation, including a new Space Industry Advisory Group and Regulatory Sandbox to fast track development
- International collaboration, with 75 million for bilateral R&D and continued commitment to the European Space Agency
- Workforce development through education programmes and the Skills England Partnership
Select more to view the policy papers, sector plans and documents in support of the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy.
Space West Cluster Manager, Becky Huffee, represented Invest Bristol and Bath at the Paris Airshow, one of the world’s leading aerospace and space industry events. Attending as part of a UK trade investment mission, Becky engaged with companies from the US, Japan and Europe, championing our capabilities and identifying opportunities for collaboration. At the British Embassy for the Industry Reception, Becky advocated for regional priorities with key government and industry figures.
Becky’s participation helped raise the profile of Space West on an international stage, reinforcing the South West’s position as a dynamic and growing cluster for the space sector.
Join us for an informal networking evening at The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer on King Street, Bristol on Wednesday 2nd July, 5:30–7:30pm, for our ‘Meet the Steering Board’ event.
It’s a relaxed chance to meet the brilliant people behind the Space West Steering Board, the team helping shape the future of the space sector in the South West. You can view the Steering Board here.
Whether you're already part of the community or just curious to connect, it's also a great opportunity to network with individuals and organisations from across the region.
RSVP by emailing us at [email protected] by selecting 'More' below and please let us know if you have any allergies or dietary requirements.
From the 19th September, we will be hosting monthly Cosmic Catch-Up coffee mornings at the NCC! From 8.30am–9.30am, every 3rd Friday of the month, we'll be bringing the community together to connect, share ideas, and stay in the loop with what’s happening across the space sector and South West.
These informal meet-ups are a chance for SMEs, academics and industry professionals to drop in, hear what others are working on, and spark new collaborations.
These sessions will include short spotlights on recent developments, opportunities to showcase projects, and themed discussions based on current trends in the space industry.
- 19th September 2025 – A Quantum Future in Space
- 17th October 2025 – Manufacturing in Space
- 21st November 2025 – Position Nagivation and Timing
- 19th December 2025 - Investment
Interested in attending or being a guest speaker? Would you like to suggest a theme for a 2026 session? Do you have a project you want to share or an update from your organisation? If so, please email us at [email protected] by selecting 'More' below. We’d love to hear from you.
The UK’s flagship space sector event returns this summer, bringing together leaders from government, industry and academia to explore the future of space innovation, defence and research. With the theme ‘Space for Growth’, the conference will highlight the expanding role of space in driving economic renewal and technological advancement.
There will be keynote sessions, interactive workshops and enhanced networking opportunities designed to foster collaboration across the sector. The event will also feature a post-conference report summarising key insights and commitments.
Space West and NCC will be hosting a stand at stall B6. If you’re a space-related focused company based in the South-West and have a communications video you’d like featured on our screen, alongside others in the cluster, please email us at [email protected] by selecting 'More' below. Additionally, if you’d like to arrange a meeting with Becky Huffee, Space West Cluster Manager or a member of the NCC team, please get in touch.
Our most recent CySpace CCN Mapping Workshop was held in Newcastle on 26th June, following earlier sessions in Belfast and Cheltenham in early June. These workshops have brought together a diverse group of participants from government, academia, and industry to exchange valuable insights on cyber security and space domain awareness. The blend of expertise and perspectives made for engaging and thought-provoking discussions, and we’re grateful to everyone who contributed. Looking ahead, we are preparing for our next two workshops:
- London, UCL – 4th September
- Edinburgh, Edinburgh Climate Change Institute – 23rd September
If you are interested in taking part, we encourage you to register early using the button below. Please note that expressing interest does not guarantee a place, but we will follow up with you once we receive your registration.
NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) has opened applications for its 2026 challenge program, and there's a clear opportunity here for those working at the intersection of space and defence.
Among the ten focus areas is "Resilient Space Operations," which will be of particular interest to our community. Several of the other themes also overlap with key space challenges, such as advanced communications, autonomy, contested electromagnetic environments, and human resilience in extreme conditions.
Selected companies will receive €100,000 in initial funding, with the potential to access an additional €300,000 in the next phase of the program. The accelerator runs for six months, starting in January 2026, and is open to dual-use deep tech companies based in NATO member countries.
If you're developing a technology that could apply in both civilian and defence contexts, especially in or for space this is a strong opportunity to explore. Applications are open until July 11. Select more for further information and to apply.
We are delighted to share that following on from the success of last year, the South West Space Partnership will be taking a delegation of regional businesses to Bremen, where we will host a regional stand and a delegation activity programme. Most of the cost of the stand will be borne by the South West Space Partnership. We have secured a large stand in the main hall beside the UK Government stand, and will be seeking regional businesses from across the South West to be represented on it. There will be a £500 charge for businesses wishing to participate, which will include:
- Logo and collateral on the stand
- Use of the stand for meetings
- Participation in a business engagement programme (details to be confirmed)
If you would like to be involved, please email us at [email protected] by selecting 'More' below with the following information: Contact name, organisation name and two to three sentences describing your business’ work in the space sector.
If you’re exploring funding options for your space-related project or business, we recommend checking out Space South Central’s June Funding Flash via the 'More' button below. It’s a useful round-up of current opportunities.
KI Bid Consulting was created by Kelly Instrell earlier this year with the aim of helping businesses navigate the often complex, rigorous and particular bidding requirements of the European Space Agency. Having been bidding for ESA contracts for over 10 years, Kelly is very familiar with the ESA process, documentation deliverables and ways of bidding, which can be daunting to companies bidding for ESA work for the first time. You may be wondering how to structure your bid, what PSS forms are and how to fill them in or what a letter of support is and how to get one.
You are not alone in having these questions! This is why the “Bidding for ESA Contracts: The Essential Guide” was created by KI Bid Consulting for the UK Space Agency. It is a comprehensive guide on bidding into ESA, giving you information about: i) ESA & key funding lines; ii) the ESA procurement process and deciphering an ITT; iii) writing your bid response including an ESA case study and tips from the author’s own experience. The document is easily searchable, cross-referenced and contains links to relevant material and further reading, as well as a glossary for ESA terms and acronyms.
If this Essential Guide would be helpful to your business, you can download it via the 'More' button or contact Kelly directly.
If you would like to discuss how KI Bid Consulting could help your business and your bid teams get ‘bid ready’, please get in touch at: [email protected]
