Construction will begin later this year on the creation of an optical ground station that is expected to spawn a new space cluster within Scotland's growing orbital industry.
Groundwork on the Hub Optical Ground Station (HOGS) is set to go ahead at the Heriot-Watt Research Park on the western outskirts of Edinburgh following approval of plans for a new £2.5 million telescope station. It is said to mark a "strategic shift" for the university, which is looking to establish itself as a base for cosmic research and innovation.
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Professor Gill Murray, deputy principal of business and enterprise at Heriot-Watt, is now calling on more businesses from across the space technology sector to consider a presence within the research park.
“Throughout its history, Heriot-Watt has been dedicated to addressing the evolving needs of employers," she said. "The burgeoning space industry in Scotland represents the latest frontier for which we are actively seeking to cultivate a pool of highly skilled graduates to propel innovation and research forward.
“Our research park will soon welcome a new multi-million telescope, following in the footsteps of industry leaders such as Celestia UK, renowned for their expertise in antenna systems for satellite tracking and who have already established their presence here."
HOGS aims to demonstrate and test satellite quantum secure communications to counter cyberattacks and is part of a collaborative effort involving the universities of Bristol, Heriot-Watt, Strathclyde, and York, with space engineering expertise provided by the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s RAL Space Facility.
The ground station will support research across a broad range of areas, including space situational awareness, astronomy, astrophotonics, and optical communications. The project is part of major investment into a satellite mission funded by the National Quantum Technologies Programme through the Quantum Communications Hub.
Scotland has "end-to end" space capabilities spanning launchpads and rocket manufacturing through to satellites, data, and application capabilities. Approximately 8,500 currently work in the sector, accounting for 18% of all space jobs in the UK.
Within this ecosystem, Heriot-Watt is known for its expertise in quantum communications and associated technologies. The university is now aiming for the forefront in satellite quantum communications research, enabling engagement with future missions from national and international teams.
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Derek Shaw, director of innovation at Scottish Enterprise, said the space sector is a key growth industry of the future and this is why the agency has set it sights on helping the country to become a leading space nation.
“The industry has been identified as a key new market prospect in the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation, with the opportunity to take a £4 billion share of the global space market, and Heriot-Watt is showing real foresight with these exciting plans," he said.
“As well as this, the creation of places for innovation is a real passion for Scottish Enterprise, and I look forward to watching this cluster grow into a really thriving community of businesses, academics and agencies who will take Scotland’s space sector into the future.”
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The Heriot-Watt Research Park is the largest and most prominent of Scotland’s science parks, with around 1,000 staff working across 28 organisations.
“As a university we aim to shape our curriculum to business needs in order to drive inclusive economic growth and prosperity," Ms Murray added. "We recently launched a new degree in Aerospace Engineering, expanding on our student offering with the aim of producing graduates ready to meet the requirements of this emerging sector.
“Any company that works in the space sector and who chooses to set up here will not only have ease of access to Scotland’s capital and the central belt, but to our raft of talented students, keen to gain industry experience and employment.”
The US-based Space Foundation estimates the global industry is currently worth in the region of $546bn (£432.2bn). This is being driven by activity in the commercial sector, with consultancy group McKinsey predicting that figure could reach $1 trillion by 2030.
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