Space & Defence

The North East is rapidly emerging as a hub for space, security and defence. With a strong history of engineering, manufacturing and maritime, the region continues to pioneer in innovative communication technology, satellite, advanced systems and autonomous systems.

Space North East England brings together a cluster of more than 50 companies, a workforce of almost 1,400 people and generates more than £113 million annually.

Anchored by the forthcoming North East Space Skills & Technology Centre (NESST) at Northumbria University, the North East’ s space sector has lift off! Developed in partnership with the UK Space Agency and Lockheed Martin, the £50 million facility will drive research and innovation in areas including optical satellite communications, space weather and space-based energy, as well as providing specialist education and training to ensure the UK space sector has the highly skilled workers it needs in the future.

In 2024, the North East Regional Defence and Security Cluster (NERDSC) was established to support businesses in the region’s defence cluster. Backed by the likes of the Ministry of Defence, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), Airbus and VRAI, the cluster leverages the region’s research capabilities and recent investments by industry leaders such as Leonardo and Lockheed Martin UK.

What you need to know:

• Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is one of the principal government organisations dedicated to science and technology in the defence and security field and their Newcastle site focuses on AI and data science related research.
• We are home to specialist technology businesses such as Filtronic and Kromek at NETPark in Durham that are developing ground-breaking technology for the industry.
• The Centre for Process Innovation in Durham works closely with academia, industry and government to bridge the gap between innovation and commercialisation.
• Established in 2017, the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD)‘s mission is to enable organisations to leverage their data effectively using our expertise in data science and AI.