Vision to create 15,100 new ‘green jobs’ in UK space sector

The UK space sector, the jewel in our industrial crown, is at a crossroads. Brexit has presented hurdles, as well as potential opportunities for the sector. While the sector does well at selling overseas, the global market is becoming more competitive. As a result, there is mounting pressure on the UK space sector to maintain its global presence. While other countries are growing their space sectors, the risk is that the UK has to expand just to retain its current position in the global market.

Against this backdrop, a new report from WPI Strategy and UKspace sets out a bold new vision for the future of the UK space sector. It is a vision that takes account of the growing political appetite for environmental progress. Building on Prosperity from Space, the blueprint sets out how we can utilise the strengths of the UK space sector to grow a genuinely world-beating market in satellite and environmental protection services. Up to 15,100 additional new ‘green jobs’ could be created within the space sector by 2030. This will be one fifth of all the forecast new green jobs within the UK economy, from just one sector.

These green jobs will be some of the highest value in the country, delivering output rates to match the most productive industrial sectors in the UK economy. Creating these kinds of jobs would be the equivalent of adding the workforce of four Google UK HQs to the economy, spreading growth and innovation across the UK.