Space tech pioneer Will Whitehorn, former right-hand man to Richard Branson, says the UK and Scottish governments need to raise their game to fully seize opportunities in the sector.
Mr Whitehorn, who is among the speakers at this week’s Space-Comm Expo in Glasgow, told Daily Business that he was “very excited” about the sector which is “growing like crazy”.
He said Scotland and the UK had the opportunity to be a big part of the space revolution, but that meant matching other countries which are devoting far bigger resources.
The UK Space Agency will today announce that Scottish universities will collaborate with partners nationwide to receive a share of £3.8 million from the National Space Innovation Programme.
Mr Whitehorn said Germany, is spending €35 billion on space tech just in the defence sector. “We have good ideas and expertise, but getting resources out of government is not as easy as one would expect,” he said.
“Neither the Scottish nor UK government have thought hard enough about how much other countries are putting into it.”
A Scottish Affairs Committee report, published in September, warned that Scotland was at risk of losing a “generational opportunity” to become the European leader in space launch.
The cross-party committee urged the UK Government to commit to sustained investment in the sector to ensure it retained its “first mover advantage” in commercial small satellite launch.
The UK government will argue that the UK is rapidly building a presence and that the sector is now worth £18bn.
Last week a £1.7bn investment package in European Space Agency (ESA) programmes was agreed at the ESA Council of Ministers in Bremen, boosting the UK’s total commitment to £2.8 billion over the next decade.
Scotland accounts for 13% of total UK space sector employment, making it the third-largest regional employer after London (33%) and the South East (17%).
UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill, who is also speaking at Space-Comm Expo Scotland today, said: “It’s such an exciting time for the Scottish space sector – a vitally important industry employing thousands of people across Scotland.
“Scotland is rightly positioned at the forefront of the ever-accelerating space revolution. The UK Government will continue to work closely with industry, academia and other key partners to back Scotland’s space sector.”
Scottish Government Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “Scotland’s space sector and wider supply chain is already delivering on its significant economic potential but also helping solve some of the world’s most important challenges from climate change to telecommunications.
Dr Natasha Nicholson, CEO of Space Scotland described the latest investment from the UK Space Agency as “a powerful vote of confidence in Scotland’s role at the forefront of UK space innovation”.
Edinburgh-born Mr Whitehorn has been a pioneer of the sector and served as the founding president of Virgin Galactic, where he played a central role in transforming Branson’s vision of commercial spaceflight into a viable business model.
He is currently chairman of Seraphim Space Investment Trust, the world’s first publicly-listed space technology investment fund, which backs innovative companies in satellite communications, in-orbit services, and Earth observation.
The British Business Bank is among its shareholders, but he said he that getting funding for the trust had initially been difficult.
He served as president of UK Space as well as advising on national space strategy and as a director for AAC Clyde Space AB.
He has just been appointed chairman of Sofant Technologies as the Edinburgh-based company prepares to scale-up operations and launch its first commercial products.
Its technology reduces power consumption across a range of applications, where high-performance and energy efficiency is essential for a range of next generation wireless applications.
The company’s CEO David Wither, said Mr Whitehorn’s “deep understanding of disruptive technologies and proven track record in scaling businesses will be invaluable as we transition from development to commercial deployment.”
Mr Whitehorn said: “Sofant is on the cusp of a major breakthrough….I look forward to joining the team as we prepare to bring these innovations to market and scale the business internationally.”
As Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University he says that he sees good things emerging from young people.
He was awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for his outstanding services to the aerospace and space industry.
