Scottish space experts have warned MPs that the country risks losing its ‘innovative advantage’ in the sector without clear, long-term investment goals and more coordinated leadership from the UK Government.

Speaking to the Scottish Affairs Committee last week, a panel of space industry specialists, including representatives from the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow, as well as regulators, government officials, and private industry, called for the appointment of a dedicated UK space minister to ensure the sustainability of the sector.

Professor Malcolm MacDonald told the Committee that despite the creation of the UK Space Agency, the country “appears to be moving back in a direction of space being across lots of different departments.”

With space becoming more strategically important, both for defence and commercial interests, MacDonald said that the government needs more coordination among disparate bodies like the UK Space Agency and the MoD to meet shifting policy priorities.

“If we look back at where the sector has come from, we had first-mover advantage in a number of different areas, and that has not necessarily been sustained in the way that it could have been,” said MacDonald.

“As we move forward, we want to make sure that, where we have that innovative advantage, we do not lose it again.”

According to the panel, securing that advantage will mean streamlining collaboration between industry and the government. 

Looking at the Scottish space sector, specifically, Dr Pamela Smith of ACC Clyde Space said that by acting as a ‘customer’ for its services, the UK Government has already proven it can support the industry for relatively small investment.

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“We have seen a particular example for AAC Clyde Space with the Scottish Government acting as a customer for some of our data,” said Smith. 

“Scottish Forestry has worked with us collaboratively on a service to detect pests and disease in trees in Scottish forests. We have been able to develop that capability together with Scottish Forestry and then sell and export that to other customers globally. 

“With a fairly small investment, but working collaboratively together with an end user as an educated customer in government, it allows us to go and export our products globally. It is a really valuable piece of the puzzle.”

The UK’s space sector is currently dominated by a small number of major players, with just 20 organisations generating 75% of all space-related income, while over 1,600 smaller firms share just 10%, making targeted government support essential for driving broader growth across the industry.