New figures released at the end of last month by the Harwell Campus business park in Oxfordshire show the continued growth of the Harwell Space Cluster, with the number of organisations growing from 89 to 105 in the year to December 2019.

Currently employing over 1,100 people (growing 16% year on year), Europe’s most concentrated space cluster is on track to reach its target of 200 organisations employing over 5,000 people by 2030.

Harwell Campus’s contribution (www.harwellcampus.com/space-cluster) to national growth lies in its ability both to connect the best ideas with the advice, talent, facilities and funding needed to develop innovative technologies and sustainable new businesses, and to act as the host to national capabilities and facilities that benefit companies and researchers across the country — creating new markets and new jobs, and driving economic growth throughout the UK.

Joanna Hart, UKRI-STFC Harwell Space Cluster development manager, said: “Having strong research and unique testing facilities, combined with space expertise, business support and physical space to grow, has been critical to the rapid development of the Harwell Space Cluster.

"The concentration of space activity alongside the Energy and Health technology Clusters at Harwell Campus has created a fertile environment for multi-disciplinary innovation — in turn, attracting companies to Harwell from across the space value chain.”

New companies that have established a presence at Harwell include Borwell, Raytheon, B2B Space and Inmarsat. Nick Shave, Inmarsat vice-president (strategy and programmes), said: “Inmarsat spends £180 million per year with the UK supply chain on average, and we are keen to continue this valuable collaboration with the British space sector.

“A really good way to build on this prosperous partnership is to tap into the innovative environment at the Harwell Space Cluster and we are delighted to establish ourselves here.”