Uk Space Agency
The UK Space Agency Unlocking Space for Business programme logo.
Programme Overview
Unlocking Space for Business plays a key role in enabling the governments ambition to accelerate innovation and investment through world-class science, research and development. Unlocking Space for Business is delivering a range of government initiatives to support the realisation of business, operational and environmental benefits from innovative uses of satellite data and services for end-user businesses in the financial services and transport and logistics sectors.
Since launching in October 2023, the programme has engaged over 300 organisations through initiatives, including in-person networking events, customised exploration workshops and learning and development webinars.
Sign up to the Unlocking Space for Business Newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming initiatives.
Information hub
Learn more about how businesses in the financial services and transport and logistics sectors can unlock value from satellites, with examples of activity from across the world.
Insight and networking events
The programme has now conducted its first series of in-person sector specific networking events, which brought together stakeholders across financial services, transport and logistics, satellite data and technology communities.
Held across London, Manchester and Southampton from November 2023 to April 2024, these five events provided attendees with the opportunity to network with end-user businesses and suppliers, hear from expert panellists on innovations and trends in the sector, experience real-life showcases of satellite services in action from suppliers and share key insights from the programmes engagement with the sector.
The programme is planning a second series of events in Autumn 2024, tailored specifically for suppliers and integrators of satellite data. These events will share lessons, feedback and insights taken from engaging with end-user organisations through the programme back with the UK space sector. Details will be confirmed shortly and registration links will be posted on this page.
Exploration workshops
The programme has now held over 40 exploration workshops with end-user organisations interested in exploring potential opportunities to leverage satellite data and services.
These customised workshops provided organisations with dedicated support to help explore value propositions, prioritise areas most relevant to their current business needs, understand the supplier ecosystem and develop a forward-looking delivery plan.
These exploration workshops have now concluded.
Learning and development
The programme held a series of bite-size learning and development webinars for current or potential users of satellite data and services within the financial services and transport and logistics sectors.
These interactive sessions explored topics relating to the procurement and integration of different types of satellite data and services and discussed specific use cases for financial services and transport and logistics sectors.
Short summary videos will be available to watch on this page soon.
Funded projects
The Unlocking Space for Business programme has provided funding for twelve feasibility study projects through Contracts for Innovation (previously Small Business Research Initiatives).
Contracts are up to 200,000 each and aim to develop innovative and commercially viable feasibility studies that combine ground-based and satellite services for the transport, logistics and finance sectors. Each project will run for 8 months to July 2024.
Important information for participants
Unlocking Space for Business aims to implement a number of customer-focused initiatives to support and enable greater awareness, engagement, learning and development and demand for satellite data and services.
As a new pilot programme, continuous learning and feedback is encouraged from participants of events, workshops and recipients of funding.
The focus areas for the programme are businesses within the financial services, and transport and logistics sectors.
The programme will be open to opportunities across all satellite domains (including satellite imagery, satellite connectivity and communications, satellite position, navigation and timing), in combination with complementary data types.
Further information
Sign up to the Unlocking Space for Business Newsletter and upcoming events.
Our privacy notice sets out how we will process personal data received through the sign up form for the Unlocking Space for Business Newsletter and upcoming events.
A live webinar took place on 6 November to launch Unlocking Space for Business, looking at what the programme involves and how it could benefit you.
Watch the Unlocking Space for Business live launch webinar.
If you would like any further information, have any questions or feedback about this programme, or would like to request the newsletter and events sign-up form in a different format, please contact the team at UnlockingSpaceforBusiness@ukspaceagency.gov.uk.
Watch a video about Unlocking Space for Business by the UK Space Agency.
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