Harwell Campus enjoys space-based growth with ESA
ESA is helping a rapidly expanding community of space-connected organisations in the UK keep the country at the cutting edge of sustainable commercial innovation.
Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire today reported an unprecedented surge in demand for workspaces – and announced that several companies are scaling up their presence at the most concentrated space cluster in Europe.
Driven by the booming UK space industry, this growth is supported by ESA’s efforts to foster collaboration on campus, as well as the agency’s state-of-the-art facilities at Harwell.
Harwell’s space cluster hosts a unique mix of more than 100 commercial, public and academic enterprises that employ over 1100 people – this is set to double by 2030, according to the team that manages the campus.
Organisations to secure more space on campus include space-based navigation specialist GMV NSL, space technology company MDA, satellite applications and space systems firm Deimos, and Astroscale, a market leader in satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability.
Along with the UK Space Agency, RAL Space, and the Satellite Applications Catapult, ESA is one of the cluster’s leading stakeholders.
From its Harwell-based European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT), the agency works to develop collaborations with organisations across the space cluster.
These include Darwin Innovation Group, which is using ubiquitous telecommunications technology to help bring autonomous vehicles to the roads, and Oxford Space Systems, a specialist in the design and manufacture of deployable antennas for space.
ECSAT is the headquarters of ESA’s Directorate of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications. It also hosts ESA’s Climate Office, teams from other ESA directorates, and research labs on the surrounding campus, such as the agency’s Sample Analogue Curation Facility.
Other facilities on campus include the ESA-RAL Advanced Manufacturing Lab and the Harwell hub of ESA’s business incubation centre.
ESA’s upcoming additions to ECSAT include a state-of-the-art conference centre, a new climate modelling hub and a business innovation centre for next-generation connectivity called the 5G/6G Hub.
Elodie Viau, Head of ECSAT, said: “Along with its cutting-edge facilities, the collaborative ethos at Harwell lends itself to innovation – and ESA is proud to be a key part of this. As the space cluster continues to grow, we look forward to continuing to work with our neighbours on campus and beyond to further strengthen ties that enable connectivity, support exploration, and foster sustainable innovation.”
Other new additions to Harwell include the RAL Space National Satellite Test Facility, which is currently under construction. The test-bed will be the first in the UK capable of putting large satellites through their paces before launch.
Dr Joanna Hart, Harwell’s Space Cluster Manager, said: “Harwell’s Space Cluster showcases the impressive capabilities that exist across the UK space sector. By bringing together leading space technology companies with national facilities and expertise to support innovation, Harwell has positioned itself to drive the growth of the Space sector across the UK”
An ambitious development plan – including the construction of office space and state-of-the art labs – is currently underway to accommodate the anticipated growth on campus.
Stuart Grant, Chief Executive Officer of Harwell Campus said: “Harwell Campus is an innovation powerhouse and strategically important asset that connects the growing space community at Harwell, with industrial collaborators, research-based expertise, investment opportunities and funders.
“It’s vital that we continue to provide specialist, high quality and scalable real estate solutions that support the needs of our current space industry occupiers who are growing at pace and to attract new organisations to Harwell.”
