Industry experts say the North East is at the dawn of a new “space age” and hope thousands more people will be working in the fast-growing sector by the end of this decade.
As growth in the North East space sector continues apace, opportunities will open up for people from all backgrounds.
This week space industry experts from around the world gathered in Durham for the North East Space Conference 2024.
Clive Roberts, Dean of Sciences at Durham University, delivers his speech at the conference (Image: ELEANOR TIAT)
Now in its tenth year, the conference has invited the industry’s most cutting-edge speakers to showcase the North East’s vital role in pioneering innovative research and technology.
Space North East England, a group connecting local industry bodies and manufacturers, said it wants 10,000 people to be employed in the region’s space sector by 2030.
They invite people from a wide range of educational and work backgrounds to participate. The opportunities will not be limited to rocket science professionals, career opportunities in marketing, human resources and even creative writing are also expected to open up.
The number of people in the North East’s space industry is currently estimated at 1,300, but “10,000 is perfectly achievable in this period,” said John Bone, Commercial Director at Scottish rocket company Orbex.
Orbex Commercial Manager John Bone with the Orbex Prime model – expected to be the first vertical rocket launch in the UK (Image: ELEANOR TAIT)
He added: “When you look at where we were ten years ago, it was less than a hundred. [in the region’s space sector]. That’s incredible growth over a decade, and that’s not including the likes of Lockheed Martin.
“We achieved this with the means we had. Now we need investments from companies and larger organizations to complement the already growing sector.”
Lockheed Martin is an American company that supports the development of international defense systems.
It has invested £50 million in Northumbria University to create the North East Space Skills and Technology Center (NEST) in 2023. One of its functions will be to support the production of satellite components, which it is hoped will create thousands of jobs in the region.
Mr Bone said: “We make trains, we make cars – why not satellites?”
He sees the North East’s space industry as a continuation of the region’s strong industrial heritage. Recalling the words of a colleague, he said: “We used to build ships, now we are building spaceships.”
University of Sunderland’s robotics technology on display for conference audience (Image: ELEANOR TAIT)
Nik Smith, Lockheed Martin’s UK and Europe regional manager, explained how he hopes to rethink the industry’s thinking about employability.
He said: “I’m still blown away that I could hire someone based on a few-page CV and a five-minute conversation. We need to break this. Space needs this, but we need it for all different sectors.
“People who are sitting in really non-technical roles right now may have those qualities, they may have a brainchild that’s perfect for software development. This is particularly important as we start to roll out more AI-enabled toolsets, meaning there’s less naivety in the ability to produce code.” you may need, but ‘how do I solve this problem?’ You need creative thinking to find the question.”
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness spoke at the conference about the value of leveraging the region’s existing knowledge and skills.
One advantage of bringing the North East to the forefront in the space industry is the close collaboration of local universities. Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Teesside and Sunderland have become increasingly involved in the manufacturing side of the space industry in recent years.
“Our research expertise at universities is fantastic,” Ms McGuinness said. “They directly respond to the future needs of the local space industry.
“We have the highest proportion of STEM students of any region in the country, and that talent is valuable and it is here, and together we can make sure we keep it here.”
Ms McGuinness also spoke about her hopes of attracting investment into the sector, saying: “It’s completely practical for me to invest in this and that’s the kind of area I want this to be. Ambitious, innovative but really practical.
“The pace of advancement in space technology we have seen in recent years, not just in our region but globally, is astounding, but I know our region can be at the cutting edge of doing more.”
One of the high flyers in the space industry who has charted a fascinating career path in the industry is Preeya Lakhani. After completing his apprenticeship at Gillette at the age of 28, he became Space Program Leader at Lockheed Martin UK.
Lockheed Martin UK Space’s Preeya Lakhani believes young people will lead the UK space industry (Image: CONTRIBUTOR)
Preeya, who was recently diagnosed with ADHD and autism, struggled in the sixth form. However, she found that Gillette’s apprenticeship recruitment methods were more suitable for her.
“This wasn’t a written exam. It was about understanding how engineering mechanisms work without actually having any experience,” he said.
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From there, Preeya found her engineering skills transferable to a role at Lockheed Martin UK. Since then he has been involved in running Space Camps for young people in the North East, which he says are “inundated with applications” every year.
He believes young people in the region will lead the UK’s space industry, adding: “I would go so far as to say this is the dawn of the North East’s space age.”
As for Lockheed Martin’s presence in the region, “there’s still a lot to do,” he says.