Strategy, community, growth
Our Vision
Our vision is for Scotland to be recognised internationally as a leading space nation: a place where space technologies and services are developed, deployed, and scaled across the full end-to-end value chain, delivering economic value, societal benefit, and strategic advantage for Scotland and the UK.
Our Mission
Space Scotland exists to enable a strong, connected, and globally competitive Scottish space sector. We support the space community by coordinating capability, translating national and international strategy into action, and creating the conditions for sustainable economic growth, innovation, and resilience across Scotland’s space ecosystem.
Strategic Pillars
Pillar 1: National Delivery and Capability Portfolio
Space Scotland coordinates Scotland’s end-to-end space capabilities, strengthening value chains, and translating strategic priorities into place-based action, facilitating the delivery of UK, Scottish, and international space strategies.
Pillar 2: Scotland-Wide Space Cluster
Space Scotland operates Scotland’s national space cluster, improving connectivity across the sector, streamlining interactions between stages of the value chain, supporting strategic working groups, and providing a coherent front door to Scotland’s space ecosystem and its wider cross-disciplinary community.
Pillar 3: Economic Growth, Market Adoption, and Scale
Space Scotland supports public and industrial stakeholders to drive economic growth and scale within Scotland’s space sector by reducing barriers to adoption, supporting business development, and enabling innovative technologies and companies to grow into sustainable, globally competitive enterprises.
Priorities
Space Economy
Creating the conditions for economic growth of Scotland’s space industry through exports, innovation, and expanded opportunities.
Space-Ready Environment
International collaboration/relationship such as export opportunities, foreign direct investment, and inward investment.
End to End Value Chain
Supporting and connecting across the value chain including upstream, launch, ground segment, and downstream.
Infrastructure for Growth
Building on established strengths to serve domestic and international markets, we support existing institutional markets while helping members pursue new commercial opportunities such as renewable energy, space-based solar power, in-space manufacturing, and space-derived resources.
Strong and Diverse Workforce
Supporting industry growth through attracting an increased and diverse workforce, and ensuring cutting edge innovation.
Environmental Sustainability
Continuing to encourage engagement between the Scottish space industry and the academic institutions that underpin the sector, while highlighting Scotland’s heritage in contributing to large-scale space missions led by the likes of NASA and the European Space Agency.
The Sector.
Scotland’s space industry embodies a diverse variety of activities, from pioneering research and development in the Highlands to orbital launches and space exploration in bustling cities. Moreover, Scotland’s renowned institutions, such as the University of Edinburgh, and organisations like Astroscale Ltd. are making noteworthy contributions to space science and technology.
Scotland’s participation spans the entire value chain, from upstream development to launch processes. With the support of notable educational institutions and organisations, Scotland’s space sector has substantial groundwork for new frontiers in space exploration and discovery.
Downstream
Supporting the commercialisation of space sourced information from Scotland’s many earth observation and geospatial companies.
Research
Continuing to encourage engagement between the Scottish space industry and the academic institutions that underpin the sector, while highlighting Scotland’s heritage in contributing to large-scale space missions led by the likes of NASA and the European Space Agency.
Satellites
Scotland builds more small satellites than anywhere in Europe. This capability is a huge strength for the UK and is a result of entreprenerialism, technical expertise in miniturisation of satellites and support from Universities.
Launch
Leveraging Scotland’s position as Europe’s leading small satellite manufacturing location to add a range of managed orbital launch services, horizontal and vertical, plus leading rocket companies, to secure the UK’s position as Europe’s launch nation.
“As home to around a fifth of all space jobs in the UK, Scotland is a vital part of our growing space sector. We have provided funding for Space Scotland because we recognise the important work they are doing to champion space, catalyse investment and create jobs.”
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive Officer at UK Space Agency