Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology announced the £20 million
funding from the UK Space Agency – the biggest investment into
these types of services to date – to support the development of
future telecommunications technologies and aerial connectivity
projects, which would be used onboard drones or high-altitude
platforms to provide wireless coverage.
Companies can bid for the funding to develop innovative aerial
services and technologies that will support a range of
industries, for example drones delivering medical supplies to
hospitals, providing dedicated connectivity for emergency
services or bringing internet access to rural areas.
The Technology Secretary unveiled the support during a speech at
the opening of the European Space Agency’s state-of-the-art new
conference centre at the Harwell Space Cluster, in Oxfordshire,
which is home to over 100 space organisations employing more than
1400 people.
Technology Secretary , said:
From using drones to quickly get medicines to hospitals, through
to boosting mobile network access in remote areas, the benefits
of aerial connectivity cut through many aspects of our lives.
The Government’s £20 million investment will further strengthen
the UK’s fast-growing satellite communications industry, which
already contributes more than £10 billion to our economy and
supports over 26,000 jobs. It will improve our health and
security, too, and support our plan to level up every part of the
UK.
Industry can submit applications under three themes: Drones;
High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS); and High-Altitude Long
Endurance (HALE).
Submit applications
here.
Projects could include developing connectivity for aerial
platforms with hybrid capabilities that can seamlessly switch
between satellite and terrestrial networks, or traffic management
for innovative vehicles such as electric vertical take-off and
landing (eVTOL) aircraft, or ‘flying taxis’.
The funding is part of the European Space Agency (ESA) Advanced
Research in Telecommunications Services (ARTES) programme. Future
telecommunications is one of five critical technologies
identified by the government in the UK Science and Technology
Framework, and the UK is a leading investor in ARTES, having
committed £190 million to the programme in November 2022.
The announcement came at the opening of a new conference centre
at the European Centre for Space Applications and
Telecommunications (ECSAT), named after former ESA director and
head of ECSAT, Magali Vaissiere. The facility will serve as a
rallying point for the UK space community, reinforcing existing
ties and fostering new partnerships within Europe and beyond. The
UK Space Agency contributed £7 million to the project.
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:
The new state-of-the art conference centre at ECSAT is a very
welcome addition to the world-class science campus at Harwell,
offering an attractive base for collaboration and networking
between people working in the space sector and beyond.
UK Space Agency funding for the facility demonstrates our ongoing
commitment to working closely with the European Space Agency to
catalyse investment, deliver new missions and capabilities, and
champion space across the UK – showing once again that space is a
team sport.
Harwell campus is a key enabler of the booming UK space industry
and the conference centre adds to ESA’s existing contributions to
this rapidly expanding community of commercial, public and
academic enterprises.
The facility will boost innovation on campus by promoting
collaboration between its health, quantum, energy and space
clusters.
Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General, said:
The UK has a strong track record for innovation in
telecommunications and we are proud to work with our UK partners
to develop innovative technologies that will support industries
across the economy by boosting aerial connectivity.
This activity demonstrates the excellent cooperation between the
UK and ESA, and is a great example of how the seamless
connectivity delivered by space-enabled 5G is set to transform
society and industry.
The funding announced today is in addition to the £50 million ARTES
fundingannounced in January to back a wide range of projects,
such as developing new satellite constellations, the ground
systems needed to access them, or whole end-to-end systems
delivering new services to customers.
Chris McLaughlin, Secretary of the HAPS Alliance, said:
High-altitude platform stations have the potential to enhance
connectivity in remote areas and aid emergency services in
natural disasters. The HAPS Alliance applauds the development of
innovative aerial services and technologies, such as
HAPS-dedicated connectivity for emergency response.
The investment underscores the industry’s commitment to future
telecommunications and reinforces partnerships within the space
community, driving transformative advancements in aerial
connectivity.
