The construction stage of Space Park Leicester — a collaboration between the public and private sectors, and between industry and academia — began at the end of January with a ground-breaking ceremony.

The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) has backed the project with £8.175 million from its Local Growth Fund.

As a world-leading centre of space research and technological development, the Space Park is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the area when opened in 2021 (and create up to 2,500 jobs).

The vision for the site includes facilities for small businesses and start-ups to carry out vital research in space-related industries.

This will make the site a key focus of the space industry, helping the UK capture a growing share of the global space market.

Kevin Harris, chair of the LLEP (www.llep.org.uk, said: “The space technology sector is of crucial importance to the UK economy.

“Satellites are described as one of the ‘eight great technologies’ in which the UK is set to be a global leader, and we want to be at the heart of this transformational industry.

"As we embark on a new decade, we aim to position Leicester as a world-leading hub for space engineering and space-enabled research, driven by our partners in academia and in collaboration with our thriving local businesses.”

Paul Monks, pro-vice chancellor at the University of Leicester and head of the college of science and engineering, said: “We are embarking on a journey to push back the boundaries of space exploration.

"Here at Space Park Leicester, we aim to develop the next generation of satellites, be a catalyst for success, and continue a tradition of pioneering space innovation in Leicester that goes back over 60 years.”