Funding to link space industry innovation and university research
A group of UK universities has been awarded 拢4.8 million from Research England to enhance research and innovation in the UK space industry.
UK and Ireland pictured from the International Space Station. Credit: Andre Kuipers/ESA
皇冠体育app Government鈥檚 Industrial Strategy set out ambitions to work with industry and academia to grow the UK space sector.
皇冠体育app Universities of Leicester, Southampton, Surrey, Edinburgh and the Open University, which together form the Space Research and Innovation Network for Technology (SPRINT), have received the 拢4.8 million Connecting Capability Fund (CCF) grant. This will support small and medium-sized businesses to engage with these Higher Education institutions, providing them with unprecedented access to university expertise and facilities.
皇冠体育app UK Space Agency is one of the partners involved in SPRINT, along with the Satellite Applications Catapult, Seraphim, SSTL and the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
Dr Graham Turnock, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency said:
Our growing space sector depends on the success of technology and expertise that comes from the world-class research carried out in the UK.
皇冠体育app UK Space Agency is working hard to ensure the benefits of space are felt across the whole of the country, as part of the Government鈥檚 Industrial Strategy. 皇冠体育app SPRINT programme has our full support 鈥� it will help smaller businesses tap into the world-class knowledge of some of the UK鈥檚 leading universities, giving them a real boost and creating new jobs.
Research England鈥檚 funding of SPRINT will act as a catalyst to transform the ways that universities and broader partners collaborate and share best practice in how they work with businesses. 皇冠体育app programme will boost economic growth, jobs and prosperity across the UK by delivering market-led solutions to the space and space enabled economy.
皇冠体育app SPRINT funding is part of an investment of 拢67 million through Research England鈥檚 Connecting Capability Fund (CCF) in new collaborative projects, between universities and other partners, to drive forward world-class university commercialisation across the country.
David Sweeney, Executive Chair of Research England, said:
皇冠体育appse projects demonstrate the commitment of universities to work together to strengthen the R&D and technological capabilities of the UK, building upon our successful Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF). In the Industrial Strategy, the Government asked us to improve our ability to turn exciting ideas into commercial products and services. Universities have stepped forward in these projects to show that they can do world class commercialisation, alongside world class science.
I believe these projects present important innovations that should inform our strategic approach to commercialisation in UK Research and Innovation for the future.