industry information > space systems and services > UK's wealth from space

Some of the key features of the space sector in an information society include:

• A modern information infrastructure is more important than ever to a country?s knowledge-based economy.
• Benefits accrue to users of the infrastructure in their everyday activities, the wider economy and the suppliers of the infrastructure and its services.
• Government ensures the availability of an adequate information highway using the optimum mix of public and private sector resources and space is a key part of that highway.

 

Space is primarily about collecting and delivering information. Thus, satellites permeate our information-driven society through TV-set top boxes, sports, news, entertainment, etc.; intercontinental telephone calls; weather and other environmental information; broadband internet access; land-use planning and mapping; road user charging, prisoner tagging, etc.; and science and security/defence.

The key uses of space are (i) telecommunications and broadcasting; (ii)satellite navigation; and (iii) Earth observation.

 

Telecommunications and Broadcasting

Telecommunications and broadcasting represent the first commercial space application, amounting to a ?40 billion global sector.

The sector is dominated by private sector organisations and UK strengths include the satellites themselves and the delivery of operational services, both civil and military.

 

Satellite Navigation

Satellite navigation is becoming the next commercial application. It represents a ?13 billion world market today, which is anticipated to be valued at ?200 billion by 2020. Satellite navigation is central to our defence forces and underpins many future commercial and social applications, such as nationwide road user charging, mapping, location-based mobile telephone services, etc. UK companies currently dominate the ?3 billion Galileo programme (around 30 per cent of the ESA development programme) and play major roles in the precursor programme, EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service).

 

Earth observation

Earth observation is a strategic application representing around ?180 million per annum in Europe, growing at about 20 per cent per annum. Space imagery is often taken for granted by many public sector bodies, but it is fundamental in several key applications, such as modern weather forecasting. UK strengths include sensors and operational services. The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme can and should assist the emergence of a commercial Earth observation marketplace thereby assuring sustainable wealth creation from the sector.

 

The private sector generates wealth in the economy but the influence of the public sector is large in space. The roles the private sector can fulfil include provision of infrastructure; service delivery; creation of a mix of technologies to provide solutions; conversion of research into commercial solutions; financing of operational service provision; and user feedback via market mechanisms ensuring real-world problems are addressed.

Public sector enabling roles include as regulator, user, sponsor, educator (the learning and skills agenda) and funder in support of government objectives.

 

The space sector is important to maximising wealth creation in the UK as satellites are often the most cost effective information delivery option and their data are increasingly a part of strategic policy goals such as road traffic decongestion and universal broadband.

The major UK industry strengths are in the technologies and their operational delivery; however, the sector relies on Government to help ensure commercial sustainability of specific markets and continue joint public and private sector initiatives to maximise the wealth creation potential.