Space Park Leicester

A University of Leicester space research and business hub in Leicester that brings together scientists, start-ups and established space companies.

About Space Park Leicester

Space Park Leicester is a hub for space research, innovation and business. It was created by the University of Leicester with industry and government partners, and describes itself as a collaborative community at the forefront of the UK space sector. Inside are workspace, laboratories and facilities for satellite manufacturing and data analysis, plus event space. It is home to start-ups, established space companies and researchers, and the site keeps a directory of its tenants. Its work covers space exploration, satellite technology and Earth observation.

Its stated aim is to advance space exploration, satellite technology and Earth observation for the benefit of society and the economy, and to strengthen the UK's industrial competitiveness. The park sits on a long history: Professor Ken Pounds founded the University of Leicester's Space Research Group in 1960. A Strategic Advisory Board of ten space experts advises on its direction. The university opened the first phase in 2021 and the second, a building for digital, AI and manufacturing technologies for space, was completed in December 2021.

The park is in Leicester in the East Midlands, and it is part of a wider plan called Space City Leicester, launched in March 2023 by the University of Leicester, Leicester City Council, the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, the National Space Centre and DOCK. The partners say they aim to make Leicester a key part of what they call the UK's Space Spine, and the university has said Space Park Leicester is expected to support more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs in the East Midlands. It is also one of the four sites of ESA BIC UK, the European Space Agency's business incubator, and a home for resident companies such as Frontier Space.

On culture, the park describes itself as collaborative and open. It runs a monthly networking series called Cosmic Coffee for the Midlands space community, free public talks called Space Park Conversations, and, through Space City, learning pathways from pre-school to post-doctoral level. These are its own claims. A visiting reader should treat it as an organisation that mixes university science with commercial companies under one roof, so the people who work there include academics, engineers and business staff.

The jobs linked to the park are in several places: university researchers and technicians, the engineers and scientists employed by tenant companies, and the park's own team, who run events, partnerships, facilities and business support. If you study physics, engineering, computer science, environmental science or business, this is a place where those subjects meet real space projects. Check the park's website and its resident companies' websites for current openings.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Laboratories, workspace and facilities for space research and satellite work.', 'title': 'Research and enterprise space'}
• {'desc': 'Home to ESA BIC UK and start-up tenants.', 'title': 'Business incubation'}
• {'desc': 'Networking events, public talks and learning pathways through Space City Leicester.', 'title': 'Community and learning'}

Key facts

• Created by the University of Leicester; first phase completed 2021, second phase December 2021
• University's Space Research Group founded by Professor Ken Pounds in 1960
• Expected to support more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs in the East Midlands (university claim)
• One of the four ESA BIC UK sites

Website: www.space-park.co.uk