Space South Central members met at Surrey Research Park on 31 August to establish the first benchmarks to drive the economic benefits the space sector offers in the region.

The Space South Central partnership, which launched at the Farnborough International Airshow, brings together more than 120 academic institutions, private companies and public sector organisations in Surrey and Hampshire, helping to support and guide those established within the space industry and those looking to break into it.

Last week Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, visited the University of Portsmouth to hear about the future plans for the south-central region’s space sector and meet key regional stakeholders including the University of Surrey, SSTL and those involved in the developing Space South Central partnership.

An event to launch the University of Portsmouth’s ambitious new ‘Mission Space’ strategy brought together over 100 key players in the space sector this week. The event was chaired by Lord David Willets who the government announced on Tuesday as the new Chair of the UK Space Agency’s Board.

Last week the UK Space Agency released the latest Size and Health report on the UK space industry. The report is the primary source of evidence used to track the growth of the UK space sector and is an important resource used for government decision making, whilst informing the delivery of the National Space Strategy.