North East Space Conference boldly goes into its second decadeas the industry takes off

The growing importance of the space industry to the region will be highlighted at the latest North East Space conference, scheduled to take place in Durham later this month.

John Bone at the North East Space Conference 2024

Now in its 11th year, the conference has grown in size and scale over the past decade, mirroring the growth of the space sector.  Led by Space North East England the event is underpinned by the collaboration of all five of the North East’s universities alongside regional businesses and organisations.

The Conference itself provides an ideal vehicle for academics, scientists, businesses and local government to come together and share the latest insights, visions and breakthroughs.

And this year’s event, at the Radisson Blu hotel in Durham city on Wednesday, June 25, will be the biggest ever held.

More than 300 delegates, speakers, and exhibitors from across the region, the country, and abroad will gather for an intensive day-long conference featuring five panel discussions on key space topics.

John Bone, chair of North East Space Leadership Group, who has been involved since the very first Conference in 2014, said: “It’s always one of the most important dates in our calendar and this year it’s coming at a very exciting time for the region’s space sector which is continuing to thrive.

“It’s a day where scientists, experts, business leaders and local Government all come together to exchange ideas, information and knowledge and share news on developments and visions for the future.

“Relationships and partnerships are cemented, people involved in the space sector get work done, and progress is made.”

The North East has set itself the goal of directly employing more than 10,000 people in the space sector by 2030, and Bone says the Conference helps in that drive with the calibre of speakers and delegates it attracts.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Matthew Archer, Director of Launch at the UK Space Agency, who will discuss the UK’s strategy for launching into space from UK soil and the commercial opportunities emerging from it.

Archer will explore how the UK is positioning itself as a global leader in small satellite launch, with a focus on building orbital launch capability from UK soil and developing a vertically integrated supply chain—from design and manufacturing to launch operations and logistics.

His address will focus on the North East of England - along with Leicester/Nottingham and Scotland, one of the UK’s burgeoning space clusters and a region rapidly emerging as a strategic player in the UK’s space launch landscape. 

He plans to highlight the region’s capabilities in the sector and strengths in engineering, manufacturing, and chemical processing, supported by industry clusters like Space North East England and North East Advanced Material Electronics (NEAME), and the role of its major ports and universities in enabling full-spectrum launch capability from UK soil.

“I think it’s genuinely exciting,” said Bone. “In the very near future, we are going to see successful launches from UK soil, and I think that will be inspirational for young people in our country, who might take fresh interest in science and engineering careers.”

Other keynote speeches will be given by Nicoletta Wagner of the European Space Agency and Matt Chesnut of Space Florida, among the panel discussions and networking sessions.

All five of the region’s universities - Northumbria, Durham, Sunderland, Teesside and Newcastle - will be involved in the Conference, underlining their vital roles in research and development.

The Conference itself, set up and driven by Space North East England, has been key to the North East cluster’s growth, with the organisers emphasising why the North East's capabilities make it such a competitive location for the space sector on both a national and international scale.

The main sponsors of the event are Business Durham, Lockheed Martin and NETPark.

The 20 exhibitors include: Plastron, 3S Northumbria, Nano Electronic Services, Filtronic, Telespazio, Nascent Semiconductors, Muckle LLP, Technia, Axenic, Ambasat, Mowden, Raytheon and Cyber North.

For further information and to book your space at the conference, visit www.spacenortheastengland.com