Space

Tuesday January 19th 2010, Guoman Charing Cross Hotel, London, 09:30 - 16:15

A New Space Age for Britain: The Future of Britain's Space Economy

“Every day we use space technology without realising it: improved weather forecasts, global telecommunications and vital medical technologies have all flowed from UK investment in space technology. Moreover, space is absolutely vital for tackling climate change and handling natural disasters at home and abroad.”

Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation, Department for Business Innovation and Skills, 22 July 2009

Overview

Space is increasingly important in all our lives. Applications from space underpin many of today’s major commercial sectors; they provide essential information to understand our planet’s environment, changing climate and weather; enable great strides to be made in the scientific understanding of our Solar System and beyond; and they provide innovative tools for enhancing our quality of life.

The entire UK space sector currently contributes £6.5 billion to the UK economy, supporting around 68,000 direct and indirect jobs. The recession busting trends of the space industry has enabled it to successfully ride the downturn, and it is also predicted to grow by an average of 5% per year until 2020. According to the recent study by Oxford Economic Forum, The Case for Space: The Impact of Space Derived Services and Data, a thriving space sector will play an important role in building Britain’s future and the recession busting trends of the space industry is a testament to the nature of business that will generate the jobs of the future.

The Government is determined to help the UK maximise its world-leading strengths in the space sector. It recently announced the Space Innovation and Growth Team which offers a huge opportunity for the UK government to work alongside industry to define a clear plan – a 20 year vision – and come up with a strategy for growth and employment.

On 22 July 2009, the European Space Agency (ESA) arrived in Harwell, Oxfordshire. The ESA facility at Harwell is expected to be a key element of a much-wider vision for the future of the UK’s fast-growing space economy which will see the creation of an International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC). ISIC will bring together academia and industry dedicated to the innovation of space science, research and technology. Furthermore, at the launch of the new European Space Agency facility at Harwell, Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation, formally launched the Government’s consultation on the creation of a British Space Agency.

As a new space age for Britain beckons, this forum will offer delegates the opportunity to examine and discuss the full potential of space exploration and exploitation in building Britain’s future, providing new business opportunities and supporting sustainable development.

Agenda

09:30	Registration and Coffee
10:00	Chair’s Welcome Address Professor Ken Pounds CBE FRS, University of Leicester (CONFIRMED)
10:05	Keynote Address: A New Space Age for Britain: Delivering the Vision Establish partner-wide agreement on strategic issues to be addressed Building national and international partnerships Stimulate inward investment by establishing a UK-based international space facility Implementing the National Space Technology Programme David Williams, Director General, British National Space Centre (CONFIRMED)
10:25	European Space Agency: Strengthening Britain’s Space Economy Role of European Space Agency, Harwell Adapting space data and images to create new everyday applications Developing technologies and innovative robotics to explore the Moon and Mars Europe’s space programme Role of UK within ESA Working together at the international level to promote and progress space science Strengthening the UK’s space expertise Martin Ditter, Head of the ESA Harwell Centre, European Space Agency (CONFIRMED)
10:45	The UK in Space - The Size and Shape of the UK Space Industry An overview of the global space market Where the UK fits in with regard to other space nations UK industrial strengths and prospects The main space markets and technology trends Richard Peckham, Chairman, UKspace (CONFIRMED)
11:05	Questions and Answers Session
11:25	Coffee Break and Networking
11:45	The Case for Space: The Impact of Space Derived Services and Data The UK Space industry today Wider effects of the space industry on the UK economy – R&D spillovers Catalytic impacts from the space industry Prospects for the UK space industry Business case for space Promoting space industry in the regions Ed Metcalfe, Chief Scientific Advisor, SEEDA for Space (CONFIRMED)
12:05	Benefits and Future Potential of Space Technology Economic case for Space Future of British Space economy Working with European partners Ian Taylor MP, Chairman, Parliamentary & Scientific Committee &Co-Chairman of the Parliamentary Space Committee for Space (CONFIRMED)
12:25	Research for Our Future: Delivering a Route to Growth Delivering world-leading exploitation of space systems for managing our changing planet Funding for research and development Research and development (R&D) investment by the UK space industry Facilitating the development of a wide range of new services Underpinning sustainable future prosperity Transfer of space technologies into non-space applications Space commercialisation and knowledge exchange Translating research into impacts Examples of successful knowledge transfers Professor Richard Holdaway, Director of Space Science & Technology, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Science & Technology Facilities Council (CONFIRMED)
12.45	Skills Development and Outreach for a High-Technology Future Developing and maintaining the skills base needed for the economy of tomorrow Training highly skilled scientists and engineers of the future Increasing the take-up by young people of science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related subjects and careers A co-ordinated programme of outreach and space-related educational activities, improving general awareness, and with links to the curriculum and teachers Yvonne Baker, Chief Executive, STEMNET (CONFIRMED)
13:00	Questions and Answers Session
13:15	Lunch and Networking
14:15	Strengthening Innovation from Space Improving technology and delivering new applications Affordable communications for the developing world Innovation for business benefit Becoming leaders of global communications Identifying market opportunities through challenge-based Innovation Platforms Realising wider space-age benefits John Yates, Lead Technologist - Satellite Telecommunications and Navigation, Technology Strategy Board (TSB) (CONFIRMED)
14:35	Satellite Navigation: Space Age Solutions Exploiting Space age technology for the benefits of the local and national economy Applications of space data in business Application of satellite navigation technology in transport and communication New opportunities for business and public sector Professor Terry Moore, Director of the IESSG, Nottingham Geospatial Building, University of Nottingham Innovation Park (CONFIRMED)
14:55	Coffee and Networking
15:15	The Use of Satellites for Weather Prediction and Climate Monitoring The relevance of space in understanding and monitoring climate change The use of space systems to improve weather forecasting Future plans for the global observing system Roger William Saunders, Head of Satellite Imagery Applications Group, Met Office (CONFIRMED)
15:35	Questions and Answers Session
16:15	Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Exhibitors

Hypertac Ltd

GRACE

Technology Strategy Board

Audience

Delegates will be drawn from: central government departments and local government, heads of manufacturing, heads of technology processes, heads of production, heads of operation, heads of space data recorders, Earth Observation & Atmospheric Scientists, scientific advisors, social scientists, supply chain transport organisations, business development managers, engineers, vice president of operations, engineers, plant superintendents, production managers, directors of engineering, director of quality, director of quality assurance and from the following organisations; chemical, utilities, pharmaceuticals, electrical, automotive, aerospace, plastics and anyone interested in the future growth of the space industry.