13 April 2022

Scotland has seen a boost in research and development spending and space jobs resulting in Scotland now accounting for a fifth of the UK space workforce industry.

The UK’s first vertical small satellite launches are set to take place from Scottish spaceports including the construction of a spaceport in the far north of Scotland in Shetland and a spaceport near Tongue in Sutherland.

The UK Space Agency said Scotland was “leading the way” in space sector growth.  It said spaceports were likely to lead to further jobs in the coming years, fuelled by the growth of regional space clusters, international investment, and emerging technologies.

UK Science Minister, George Freeman said the employment boost in the space sector was “promising in the face of global economic headwinds”. He said: “We’re backing this innovative and resilient industry through the largest ever increase to research and development spending, which includes a significant uplift to the UK Space Agency’s budget, and the delivery of the UK’s first National Space Strategy.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-61081756