Harwell Campus has further strengthened its position as a leading international space hub, as the UK Space Agency relocates its HQ to the campus, to be closer to the sector it serves.
The UK Space Agency has taken around 10,500 sq. ft of space in the Quad Two building (pictured above). The move marks a pivotal moment for the Agency, as it integrates into Europe’s most concentrated space cluster to enable more collaboration with the thriving space sector and enabling it to deliver increasingly complex missions and capabilities.
The new HQ will open in June and will see the UK Space Agency join a dynamic and enterprising ecosystem over 100 space organisations, where commercial organisations such as, Astroscale and Oxford Space Systems, work alongside public sector stakeholders including European Space Agency, the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s RAL Space and the Satellite Applications Catapult.
Stuart Grant, Chief Executive of Harwell Campus said: “We’re delighted to welcome The UK Space Agency to the thriving space cluster of over 100 organisations at Harwell Campus. Their presence cements the campus’ position as a leading international space hub and will help leverage synergies, drive innovation, and foster partnerships with key industry players.”
Andrew Griffith MP, Minister for Space at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said: “Harwell’s Space Cluster is already a hub of collaboration with more than 100 thriving research organisations and 1,400 jobs making it the ideal location for the UK Space Agency’s new headquarters.”
UKspace Chair, John Hanley, said: “The Agency's decision to relocate its HQ will strengthen Harwell's reputation as a major international space hub. It will also enable many UKspace members based at the [Harwell’s] Space Cluster to enjoy closer collaboration and support from the Agency.”
Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director for UKRI-STFC’s Innovation Clusters UK and Harwell Campus said: “The UK Space Agency joining the Harwell Campus is not just about connecting with our thriving community but becoming integral to shaping the future of space exploration. It’s about contributing to a collective vision shared worldwide, and that’s to push our limits and tackle real-world problems through partnership, creativity, and innovation.”
The UK space sector is growing faster than the rest of the UK economy. It’s worth over £17.5 billion per year, employs over 45,000 people and satellites underpin £360 billion per year of wider economic activity.
Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said: "This is a transformational moment for both the UK Space Agency and UK space innovation. “The UK space sector is growing rapidly and moving closer to the industry we serve will boost growth, improve relationships with regional organisations and support a strong, diverse and resilient sector.
“We have seen a significant rise of space organisations across the UK and it’s crucial that we nurture skills and expertise, both established and emerging, to ensure we continue this journey.”
Rob Beatson, Partner at Bidwells, leading real estate advisors to the science and technology sector, also commented: "The UK Space Agency’s decision to establish its headquarters at Harwell further highlights the Campus’ standing in the UK space industry. It's also another clear signal that our region is not just competing, but leading in the global space sector, and will ensure the ARC brand continues attracting the world’s leading science and technology innovators to Oxfordshire.”
The Space Cluster at Harwell Campus, is one of the largest in Europe and boasts a successful scale-up and accelerator programme, ESA-BIC UK.
The Harwell ESA BIC scheme which is managed by The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), has supported over 100 space-related organisations (which combined have raised over £133m) and has achieved an impressive 87% survival rate. STFC also operates the scheme across a further three sites including Space Park Leicester, Sci-Tech Daresbury in the North West and at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh.
Harwell Campus is home to over 250 organisations and 7,000 people working across health, space, energy and quantum sectors to help solve some of the greatest global challenges that we face. Last year 25 new organisations moved to the campus as it makes huge strides towards expansion.
The planned growth will see over 440,000 sq. ft of new laboratory and R&D space built to help foster further innovation and collaboration.
