Harwell Campus: The UK’s Space Gateway Has Become a World-class Space Hub

The European Space Agency (ESA) announced last week that the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) is poised to host 100 new jobs in Harwell. This development will reinforce Harwell’s status as the world’s leading space hub.

Oxfordshire’s Harwell Campus Is Expanding

ESA is expanding its presence at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in the United Kingdom. Notably, it has been an ongoing trend since 2009, when the European Space Agency (ESA) established a significant satellite communications hub here.  

Internal investment has attracted organisations ranging from small businesses and start-ups to multinational aerospace companies such as Airbus and Lockheed Martin.

Over the last decade, companies such as Oxford Space Systems (OSS) have grown from start-ups to major manufacturers of lightweight satellite structures.

Through the tailored development and rebuild masterplan programme, support has been available to organisations at the forefront of space innovation to grow and scale at pace. Each member of the innovation ecosystem benefits from an open campus culture that fosters cross-sector collaboration between academia and industry.

Support for incubation, acceleration, funding, technical partnerships, and expertise creates a unique environment for cluster members to grow or find industry partners. Unlike other space clusters, everyone here is just a short walk or cycle ride away from stunning open-access facilities.

Today, the Harwell Space Cluster plays a vital role in the UK space sector, having grown into a vibrant ecosystem of 105 space organisations employing over 1,400 people.

Stuart Grant, Chief Executive of Harwell Campus, said: “Bringing the growing space community together at Harwell is extremely important as it will continue to drive growth, inward investment, and job creation.”

ESA’s ECSAT

ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) is an essential part of the vibrant business community on the Harwell campus. It is the headquarters of ESA’s Communications and Secure Communications Directorate. ESCAT supports teams working in commercialisation, Earth observation, human and robotic exploration, and space technology, engineering, and quality. 

Additionally, it is home to ESA teams focused on solving the climate crisis, preparing technologies and developing skills for future research, and developing advanced manufacturing technologies for upcoming space missions.

At the centre of the space cluster is RAL Space. With over 50 years of experience, they have launched over 210 instruments into space. For example, one of them is the Gaia spacecraft, which has been exploring a billion stars in our galaxy since 2013.  Other essential organisations in the cluster include ESA’s Business Incubation Centre, Satellite Applications Catapult and Astroscale, a leading space debris company.

More recently, the UK Space Agency opened an office at the Harwell Campus to be at the epicentre of space innovation and the economic sector it serves. The move also demonstrates a commitment to the National Space Strategy’s goal for the UK to be 10% of the world’s space-related economy by 2030. The latest statistics show that the UK space industry now contributes £5.7bn to the UK GDP.

Stimulating innovation is at the heart of ECSAT: many product development projects are initiated through public-private partnerships with world-class satellite operators. For instance, the ESA Business Incubation Centre (BIC) in the UK, also located on campus, was created to support start-ups as they transfer extraterrestrial technologies into viable business concepts on the ground. The ESA BIC has helped 60 companies get started, with around ten new applicants joining annually.

Looking Further Ahead

Harwell, the UK’s leading science and innovation campus, is embarking on an ambitious sustainability programme. By 2027, we will have built over 1.5 million square feet of state-of-the-art laboratories, offices, and advanced manufacturing space. Also, there will be a new hotel, conference centre, housing, and various infrastructure to support this thriving community.