24th May 2023
Opportunities for businesses in Cumbria to diversify into the space industry are being brought to the region next month.
iSH, the Industrial Solutions Hub, is hosting Space Week across West Cumbria from June 26-30.
Businesses, schools and individuals are invited to a range of events throughout the week to see how they could be inspired by the UK’s fast-growing space sector.
The first two days of the event are devoted to a business audience with a wide range of speakers from the space industry addressing delegates at Lakes College on Monday and Tuesday, June 26 and 27.
Leaders of the UK Space Agency, the Satellite Applications Catapult and businesses operating in the Space Sector will share information on how the market works. The Space Skills Alliance will also deliver a workshop to present the skills needs of the space industry.
The event will also include discussions on how to develop Research and Development in the space sector and how to attract funding to work collaboratively with universities and other organisations to grow a space cluster in West Cumbria.
Miranda Kirschel, iSH Regional Representative, said: “We have been working with partners to explore opportunities for businesses in Cumbria to diversify into other sectors.
“The innovation, expertise and skills we see day in day out in Cumbria mean businesses are well positioned here to transfer that capability into different industries.
“The space industry has been identified as one of a number of sectors where West Cumbria’s industry can offer transferable, and directly applicable, skills and capability.
“Through discussions with those in the space sector it has become clear that there are many synergies with industries and businesses here.
Miranda Kirschel, iSH Regional Representative
“Space is an exciting industry for so many reasons and by bringing experts from the sector to the region to talk about its viability as a market we hope we can help businesses access those opportunities.
“iSH is an enabler, acting as a catalyst to help businesses diversify and grow, creating more employment and training opportunities for the local population and helping to regenerate our communities.
“We are confident that people from a wide range of businesses will find Space Week insightful. We also hope that it will lead to tangible business opportunities for companies and organisations in the region.”
iSH is delighted to be hosting a series of events and activities, including business-facing events, R&D focused events and educational activities with
schools, to explore developing a space sector cluster in West Cumbria.
In conjunction with Cumbria Chamber of Commerce’s Business Bites initiative, businesses are also invited to attend an event on Thursday, June 29, 5pm-7pm, in the grounds of St Nicholas Church, Whitehaven.
“Let’s Talk About Space” features Alan Cross, North West Space Cluster Development Manager from the UK Space Agency, who will lead a discussion designed for local businesses and organisations on space, satellites, the data they gather, how it affects and benefits our lives, and what it could mean for West Cumbria.
To book tickets for iSH Space Week’s business events visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/636442435457
*AS well as business events, iSH Space Week will also include a series of events aimed at inspiring schoolchildren about future careers in space.
Tim Gregory from the National Nuclear Laboratory, BBC Bitesize, and The Sky at Night, will be hosting three sessions of activities for Year 5 and 6 students at Lakes College on Wednesday, June 28. This event is now full but you can add yourself to the waiting list here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/634742159887
Whitehaven Council is hosting a day of Science Shows led by BBC television presenter, author and broadcaster Stefan Gates in the grounds of St Nicholas Church, Whitehaven on June 29.
iSH is also giving schoolchildren the opportunity to “Design a Robot” to help clean up space as part of a national ambition to support sustainability in space.
Find out more here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LQG6F89
*iSH Space Week is supported by Cumberland Council, Sellafield Ltd, Jacobs, National Nuclear Laboratory, Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, Whitehaven Council, and the Beacon Museum.
Editor’s notes
iSH (Industrial Solutions Hub) is an initiative of regional, national and international significance which will create jobs, opportunities for businesses and organisations to collaborate, enhance skills, provide business support, and bring a range of economic and social benefits to the community through projects which will have a positive impact on people, the economy, and the environment.
Facilitating a diverse commercial cluster that harnesses the unique skills of the region, iSH creates sustainable opportunities for the direct benefit of the people of Cumbria and the UK economy.
Supported by Cumberland Council, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, iSH provides an investment climate that drives networking, fuels collaboration and promotes innovation which acts as a catalyst for sustained business growth. It also expands the breadth of the regional economy, anchoring diversification towards new markets, sectors and industries.
iSH Space Week is supported by Cumberland Council, Sellafield Ltd, Jacobs, National Nuclear Laboratory, Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, Whitehaven Council, and the Beacon Museum.