Northumbria welcomes Minister of State
Lockheed Martin’s role in helping the North East become a vital cog in the UK’s fast-growing space industry was highlighted in a recent Ministerial visit.
Ahead of World Space Week, Sir Chris Bryant MP, Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, visited Northumbria University, Newcastle to discover at first hand how the region is leading way.
As part of a regional visit, the Minister met those at the forefront of boosting the North East space economy along with visiting NESST – the £50m North East Skills and Technology Centre being created at the university in conjunction with Lockheed Martin Space and the UK Space Agency.
Representatives from Northumbria University, Space North East England, Lockheed Martin Space, North East Combined Authority, Newcastle City Council and Durham County Council took part in a roundtable, showcasing the exciting work and new developments taking place in the region and beyond and the role central Government can play in supporting this growing sector.
The North East space sector goes from strength to strength, with the latest figures from 2021 showing that the region contributed an estimated £129 million to the UK space economy.
More than 1300 people are already employed in the sector, working across almost 80 companies and plans are in place to build on these solid foundations and unlock new opportunities and attract further investment.
Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “The North East has a strong and growing space sector, contributing over £100 million to the UK economy every year and providing a range of high-quality jobs across the region.
“It was fantastic to visit the site of the Space Skills and Technology Centre, which will soon conduct research into satellite technology to improve connectivity and prevent disruption to the National Grid, as well as provide education and training to the highly skilled space workforce of the future.”