South West space sector boosted by multimillion-pound investment
March 19, 2025
The UK’s Department for Business and Trade working alongside the Space West cluster has secured a multimillion-pound investment from German space company OHB.
OHB’s investment in the South West space sector is expected to create up to 50 specialist jobs in Bristol supporting the government’s Plan for Change to deliver more skilled jobs and higher living standards across the UK.
Rocket boost for space industry
Speaking at the Farnborough International Space Show on 19 March and welcoming the news as a major win for the South West’s aerospace cluster, Industry Minister Sarah Jones said: “The UK’s space economy is outpacing the wider economy in terms of growth and offers a vast array of opportunities for people. We are open for business and today’s investment from OHB is a real rocket boost and the latest vote of confidence in our Industrial Strategy, which will give our space sector the certainty it needs to stay at the cutting edge of global innovation, driving growth and good jobs across the UK and showing our Plan for Change is working.”
She added that this investment announcement from OHB will create “high-skilled jobs and ensure the UK remains a partner of choice for space agencies around the world.”
Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS, added that the UK’s space sector has seen impressive growth in recent years and OHB’s multimillion-pound investment is further evidence of that. The funding will help establish a new UK subsidiary based at Bristol and Bath Science Park to develop cutting-edge technology for satellites and spacecraft.
High-tech cluster
OHB CEO Marco Fuchs underlined his delight in establishing a presence in one of Europe’s key space markets. “The Bristol region, with its high-tech cluster, provides a great environment for OHB to develop innovative and competitive space products and systems from the UK for the national and European markets.”
With the British space sector generating £18.9 billion each year, the Government’s Industrial Strategy, which will be revealed later in the year, has identified advanced manufacturing as well as digital technologies as key growth-driving sectors.
