The Case4Space studies show that:

Space technology, services and derived applications are delivering benefits to the citizens of the UK

UK space industry contributes significantly to growth of the UK’s knowledge, skills and high value added economic activity

Previous Government and industry decisions are sound and have produced a vibrant, competitive manufacturing and innovative services industry, generating real added value to the UK.

Investment through ESA produces leverage which enables and maximises UK achievements in wealth creation, science and public service development.

The UK along with the rest of the world is becoming increasingly dependent on satellite infrastructure.

Global space markets are growing and the UK can increase its share, bringing major benefits to the UK and helping Government tackle the critical challenges for this century

The impact of satellite technology an the current asymetric security and defence is huge.

The UK space industry will continue to strive to capitalise on these opportunities and to increase its share of the expanding market; but continued high levels of investment by industry and capital markets will only be sustainable, in the face of competitive pressures from developed and emerging economies such as China and India, in conjunction with complementary investment by Government. This will enable UK space to develop the next generation of disruptive technologies in advance of those competing economies focusing on:
• application and service development
• cost reduction and capacity building
• sophisticated satellite payloads (especially advanced telecommunications)
• freeing up markets through appropriate approaches to regulation
• innovative financing strategies and high returns
• and smallsats.

Government can help facilitate investment and demand driven business generation that will bring excellent returns to the UK. It is vital to the future commercial success of UK industry that the chain:
• national investment
• ESA collaborative development
• UK led commercial exploitation
• be maintained and enhanced. The strength of a national programme
   significantly influences the return on investment in ESA, enabling the UK to    influence the definition of ESA projects and permitting the UK to obtain key
   roles. It also secures IP for future commercial exploitation.

The role of Government is fivefold:
• Enabler of world class UK space, planetary and Earth sciences through UK
   and ESA science and EO programmes.
• Risk reducer for disruptive technology through ESA and national
   technology programmes.
• Facilitator and stimulator of knowledge transfer, innovation partnerships and
   the use of space technology and services to provide cost effective solutions
   to support policy implementation, in areas such as transport management,    environment and security.
• Investor at seedcorn stage, jointly with industry, to enable capital markets
   to invest larger sums to develop major wealth creation opportunities.
• Regulator able to stimulate applications and free, competitive markets
   through appropriate standards and legislation.

Recovery of investments to previous levels are essential but modest increases starting now can place the UK as market leader in growing sectors and stimulate real wealth creation in the downstream service and application markets.

Top 8 Recommendations

1. Industry and Government to step up the funding of the advanced telecoms R&D programme (ARTES) to £30m each per annum for 5 years to ensure the UK not just sustains but leads the market in disruptive technology.

2. Create a national satellite Research and Technology fund to drive innovation and risk reduction. A minimum annual programme budget of £20m per annum is needed to further improve the UK return on European investments, to include a provision for engaging with ESA’s technology programmes in areas of national interest.

3. UK Government should press for inward investment from ESA to establish an ESA Applications Centre in the UK (potentially on the Harwell Innovation Campus) to further improve UK’s leading role in service and application development.

4. The leverage in science and Earth observation programmes by investing in ESA should be formally acknowledged by Government and budgets should reflect a GDP based contribution as the norm. This should include full GDP contributions to both GMES and Aurora.

5. Policy implementation across departments should be reviewed at a high level to improve decision making and the UK regulatory environment to ensure a more effective user-based space strategy.

6. UK should break the total dependence on foreign satellite intelligence. A smallsat demonstrator SAR is recommended as a first step.

7. The importance of retaining sovereignty over key skills in military satellite technology should be fully recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy and a research and technology programme should be initiated to fund small demonstrators and risk reduction activities ahead of major military programmes.

8. Industry and Government must intensify knowledge transfer to applications and service sectors and promote awareness to user departments.