UKspace and SIAA welcome new opportunities for collaboration following UK-Australia Space Bridge agreement

UKspace and the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) have welcomed today’s signing of the UK-Australia ‘Space Bridge’ Framework Agreement which could provide significant new opportunities for space companies in both countries.

The new partnership – designed to increase knowledge exchange and investment across the two countries’ space sectors – is the first of its kind in the world. It is a major milestone in space collaboration between the two nations which dates back to October 2018 when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the UK Space Agency and Australian Space Agency.

UKspace Chair, Nick Shave, said: “The Space Bridge is a hugely positive step for the space sectors in both countries. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the UK space sector innovating in a range of domains and exporting its world-leading capability and technology spanning satellite communications, space science, Earth observation and climate monitoring, satellite navigation, launch and space-enabled applications.

“With the Australian space sector gaining momentum, I hope Australian companies look at opportunities in the UK, and businesses here – including start-ups and SMEs – look for similar opportunities for partnership and growth down under and in other international markets in partnership. We look forward to working together with our counterparts in the SIAA, identifying, developing and pursuing mutually beneficial opportunities for our members.”

CEO of the SIAA, James Brown, added: “Australia and the UK have deep shared histories and bright shared futures in space technology and services development. The Space Bridge thickens connections between both growing space markets and provides greater opportunity for UK companies to help build Australia’s full-spectrum space industry and for Australian companies to bring their innovative solutions to the UK’s well developed space economy. We look forward to exploring deeper partnerships between Australian and UK space industry.”

UKspace co-chair of the Space Growth Partnership’s (SGP) Trade and Exports Group, Graham Peters, said: “Australia is one of the top ten markets identified by the SGP for focussed activity on trade and exports. The UK-Australia Space Bridge, alongside the international component of the UK’s National Space Innovation Programme, will help create new partnerships and international opportunities for space industry and academia in both countries.”​