Space-Comm Expo sees vast increase in UK government involvement

Leaders from UK Space Agency, Departments of Trade and Transport, and UK Space Command, as well as government ministers and agencies will be exhibiting, speaking at, and attending this year’s Space-Comm Expo 2024.

Dubbed the ‘year of the space entrepreneur’ by UK Space Agency, 2024 is set to be a transformative year for the entire space industry, with more missions, start-ups and investments set to be launched and established. With the space industry growing by a staggering rate of 21% in private investment and seeing a 4% Y-O-Y increase in the number of UK-based space businesses entering the market, the sector has been identified as a growth area for the UK economy and the Government.

In late 2023, the UK government announced that it planned to invest heavily in the UK’s growing space market with £10bn in funding over the next decade, including more than £1.75bn specifically allocated for the UK Space Agency.

The UK’s largest industry space event, Space-Comm Expo, provides an opportunity to collaborate and discuss learnings, legislation, future demand and opportunities. This year’s programme is focusing on several key themes: commercialising space, collaboration, sustainability, defence and investment.

Representing government in Space-Comm Expo’s conference programme include:

• Andrew Griffith, minister of state for the Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
• Dr Paul Bate, chief executive, UK Space Agency
• Luke Pollard, shadow minister for the Armed Forces
• Richard Lochhead, minister for Small Business, Trade and Innovation
• AVM Paul Godfrey, first commander, UK Space Command
• Paul Cremin, commercial spaceflight policy and regulation lead, Aviation Directorate, DfT
• Craig Brown, director of investments, UK Space Agency
• Dr Giorgio Cioni, director for Aerospace and Armaments
• Stefanie Grundner, consultant, German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

In addition, The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), the executive science agency inside UK defence and security sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, and Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC), whose mission is to deliver world-leading national and international research and innovation capabilities, will also be attending the two-day event as part of the exclusive delegations programme.

Space-Comm Expo, organised by Hub Exhibitions, is taking place at Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, 6-7 March 2024 and attendance is free.

www.space-comm.co.uk