-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueIt's Show Time!
In this month’s issue of PCB007 Magazine we reimagine the possibilities featuring stories all about IPC APEX EXPO 2025—covering what to look forward to, and what you don’t want to miss.
Fueling the Workforce Pipeline
We take a hard look at fueling the workforce pipeline, specifically at the early introduction of manufacturing concepts and business to young people in this issue of PCB007 Magazine.
Inner Layer Precision & Yields
In this issue, we examine the critical nature of building precisions into your inner layers and assessing their pass/fail status as early as possible. Whether it’s using automation to cut down on handling issues, identifying defects earlier, or replacing an old line...
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
£2.5M for Satellite Data Pilots to Benefit Citizens and Businesses
August 27, 2024 | UK Space AgencyEstimated reading time: 3 minutes

The pilot projects, which have been awarded grants of up to £400,000 each, will trial new solutions that use satellite data and services to support transport, logistics and financial services.
The trials will combine terrestrial data and technology (such as AI, quantum, machine learning and geospatial data) with satellite data and services, and provide deeper analysis to develop insights and present new solutions to UK customers.
One project with Sports City Management Company aims to enhance visitor travel to the Etihad Campus, which is home to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium and the new Co-op Live arena, by reducing congestion and increasing the sustainability of fan travel.
The project will support the development of an AI-enabled travel demand solution, using satellite data from the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Open Access Hub and Sentinel satellites, to predict patterns in the travel of music and sports fans at major events. Coupled with machine learning, this provides transport operators and event planners with insight into congestion points, public transport requirements and crowd flow. This will be tested in a partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
Elsewhere, Octopus Investments has partnered with Treeconomy, a company that uses AI and remote sensing to measure the impact of nature restoration projects. This project will use a variety of satellite-based Earth observation data sources including Landsat and Sentinel-2, as well as AI and localised drone-based data, to support the monitoring and evaluation of nature projects and a suite of core environmental metrics to inform investment decisions.
This will increase confidence and improve the allocation of private finance towards high-quality, measurable and trusted nature and conservation efforts.
DSIT Minister Chris Byrant said, "This government is embracing the power of technology to improve lives and support businesses to thrive. We have a fast-growing space sector in the UK but for too long we have struggled to tap the huge potential of satellite data to drive positive change in the real world. These new projects seek to unlock this potential by combining data from space with cutting-edge technologies here on Earth."
Unlocking Space for Business is delivered by the UK Space Agency to foster innovation by combining satellite data and services with other data sources and technology, to drive benefits for businesses.This could include new revenue growth, operational efficiencies and environmental, social and governance (ESG) benefits.
As well as the grants, Unlocking Space for Business has provided exploration workshops, networking events, learning and development sessions, and online resources to support companies in their understanding of what satellite data and services can mean for them. They run alongside Contracts for Innovation, formerly the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), which support the development of new ideas and technologies.
Dr Craig Brown, Investment Director at the UK Space Agency, said, "These new grants and contracts are just some of the ways the UK Space Agency is kickstarting growth and creating high quality jobs to position the UK as a leading space economy. Unlocking Space for Business is set up to identify and help tackle barriers facing organisations that have not traditionally used satellite data or services, or considered how space can benefit their bottom line. From AI powered satellite-derived climate models to maritime incident avoidance and easier football fan travel, these projects will help accelerate innovation and investment, and showcase the untapped potential of space data to support a range of UK industries."
The grants form part of a wider ‘Unlocking Space’ programme from the UK Space Agency focused on growing the UK sector by championing the benefits of space to stakeholder groups outside it, including investors, businesses and public bodies. This includes the new GovBridge project to demystify the government procurement process and help space companies refine their business offering to better suit requirements across the public sector.
It also includes Unlocking Space for Investment, through which the UK Space Agency has invested £8 million in the UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund (UKI2S) to create a space portfolio managed by Future Planet Capital. The fund aims to address the critical funding gap early-stage space companies face at pre-seed and seed stage, and is part of strategic efforts to leverage private investment to grow the space sector, which is a key priority for the UK Space Agency.
Suggested Items
RTX's Collins Aerospace Unveils New Engineering Development and Test Center in Bengaluru
03/10/2025 | RTXCollins Aerospace, an RTX business, opened its new Engineering Development and Test Center (EDTC) at the company’s North Gate campus in Bengaluru, India. The new facility streamlines product development, testing, and certification of components locally, bringing aerospace technologies to market faster.
Ariane-6 Launches CSO-3: double success for France and Europe
03/07/2025 | AirbusThe Airbus-built CSO-3 (Composante Spatiale Optique) Earth observation satellite for the French Armed Forces, has been successfully launched by Arianespace on Ariane 6’s first commercial flight from the European Spaceport in Kourou.
Jaltek Joins Midlands Aerospace Alliance
03/06/2025 | JaltekJaltek are delighted to officially announce that they have joined the Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA). The MAA which was formed in 2003 to support and represent the aerospace industry across the Midlands region, now represents one of the largest aerospace clusters in the world and is one of the strongest advocates for both the aerospace industry and the Midlands region.
Teledyne Delivers 100th Infrared Detector for the Space Development Agency's Tracking Layer
03/06/2025 | TeledyneTeledyne Technologies Incorporated, a leading provider of advanced imaging solutions, is proud to announce its continuing pattern of on-time and early deliveries for the Space Development Agency's (SDA) proliferated constellation.
Lockheed Martin's LM 400 Tech Demo to Prove Out Design and Risk Reduction Efforts
03/06/2025 | Lockheed MartinThe latest self-funded technology demonstration from Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is ready to launch no earlier than March 15.