ESA Launches UK Centre

Leading industrialists and academics from across the world have witnessed the launch of the European Space Agency (ESA)’s first ever UK base at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus (HSIC).

As part of a two day event (22nd and 23rd July), ESA saw for themselves the worldleading research and technology facilities already at the campus and at its sister Science and Innovation Campus in Daresbury.

Lord Drayson, the UK’s Minister for Science and Innovation, attended the launch event in London on 22nd July; attendees heard how the ESA facility will focus upon three key areas: combining data and images from

space to create new applications for everyday life; climate change modelling; and the development of novel power sources and innovative robotic technologies to explore space.

It is expected to be a key element of a much wider vision for the future of the UK’s fastgrowing space economy, through the creation of an International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC) at Harwell.

During a visit to HSIC representatives from US and European aerospace companies were shown the opportunities available through colocation onto the campus. On the same day, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) hosted a visit from ESA officials to the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus, Harwell’s twin centre in Cheshire.

The aim of the Daresbury visit was to show how the campus’ successful collaborative and interdisciplinary approach is working in practice and to inform the future development of the ESA facility in the UK and the wider proposed ISIC project.