Overview
Home to the UK’s largest defence manufacturing ecosystem and is home to the National Cyber Force, a major GCHQ presence, and the Hartree Centre – which houses the UK’s most powerful supercomputer dedicated to industrial R&D. As the birthplace of graphene, the North West also offers world-leading expertise in advanced materials, including radiation-hardened materials and nuclear technologies critical to deep space missions.
The North West Space Cluster is also an integral part of the broader Space North collaboration, which unites the North East, North West, and Yorkshire space clusters. This alliance seeks to position Northern England as a premier destination for investment in resilient communication technology and space sector growth.
Join the North West Space Cluster Group on the Space Enterprise Community platform here.
Key Contacts
Facilities, Assets, and Academic Institutions
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics (University of Manchester)
Jodrell Bank is a world leader in radio astronomy-related research and technology development. Operating e-MERLIN, the UK’s national radio astronomy facility, and carrying out research across the electromagnetic spectrum and in theoretical topics: https://www.jodrellbank.manchester.ac.uk/about/
Astrophysics Research Institute (Liverpool John Moores University)
Operator of the world’s largest robotic telescope at La Palma, and home of the National Schools Observatory; a world leading centre of excellence in astrophysics, spanning research and knowledge exchange, teaching and learning, outreach, and public engagement: https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/research/centres-and-institutes/astrophysics-research-institute/about-the-centre
Jermiah Horrocks Institute (University of Central Lancashire)
Research institute, conducting research into astronomy, astrophysics, and space science, hosting the Solar Dynamics Observatory, and partner of the Southern African Large Telescope, and the National Cosmology Supercomputer: https://www.star.uclan.ac.uk/
The ElecTech Innovation Cluster (ETIC) is a business incubator and innovation centre located in Morecombe Bay, straddling the Lancashire/Cumbria border, that provides state-of-the-art facilities and expertise for the development and commercialisation of electronics and semiconductors technologies.
The European Space Tribology Laboratory is a research facility located in Warrington, Cheshire, that provides expertise in tribology, the study of friction and wear.
The Hartree Centre is home to the UKs most powerful supercomputer accessible to industry. The Hartree Centre facilitates access to high-performance computing (HPC) and data-centric technologies for businesses and researchers to advance digital innovation across a range of sectors including aerospace.
Royce supports world-recognised excellence in UK materials research, accelerating commercial exploitation of innovations and delivering positive economic and societal impact for the UK by:
- Enabling national materials research foresighting, collaboration and strategy
- Providing access to the latest facilities and capability
- Catalysing industrial collaboration and exploitation of materials research
- Fostering materials science skills development, innovation training and outreach
The university conducts research in remote sensing and earth observation.
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology: Conducts research on the impact of environmental change on ecosystems and provides scientific advice on environmental policy and management.
Liverpool John Moores University is leading the development of the New Robotic Telescope (NRT), set to be the world’s largest fully autonomous robotic telescope. With a 4-metre primary mirror, the NRT will be four times more sensitive and ten times faster than its predecessor, enabling rapid observation of transient cosmic events such as supernovae and gamma-ray bursts. Located at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos on La Palma, the telescope is a collaborative effort with the University of Oviedo and the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands, supported by the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council.
The Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) at the University of Liverpool is a world-leading facility revolutionising materials science. Combining advanced automation, AI, and robotics with academic expertise, MIF accelerates materials research across healthcare, energy, and sustainability.
The National Graphene Institute (NGI) at the University of Manchester is the UK’s leading centre for graphene and 2D materials research. Spanning 7,825 square metres and equipped with £13 million of state-of-the-art facilities – including 1,500 m² of ultra-clean laboratories – the NGI enables academics and industry partners to collaborate on translating cutting-edge science into commercial applications. It serves as a hub for innovation in electronics, energy, composites, and biomedical technologies, accelerating the development of graphene-based solutions for global markets.
The National Nuclear Laboratory is the UK’s national laboratory for nuclear fission, working on the development of novel sources of power for Space since 2009. With investment from both UK, and European Space Agencies, the National Nuclear Laboratory is developing the next generation of deep space power systems.
PuMA2, located at Sellafield in Cumbria and operated by the National Nuclear Laboratory, is the UKs only facility for extracting nuclear materials for use in Radioisotope Power Systems for deep space applications
RAF Spadeadam is the historic home of Britain’s launch vehicle testing programme, with both the Blue Streak and Europa vehicles undergoing fully integrated, vertical test firings onsite. Today, alongside the historic vehicle testing infrastructure, Spadeadam is Europe’s only Electronic Warfare Tactics Range.
Sci-Tech Daresbury is a science and innovation campus located in the Liverpool City Region that provides state-of-the-art facilities and expertise for research and development in a range of fields, including science, engineering, and technology. Facilities include:
- The Hartree Centre provides advanced computing capabilities and expertise for research and development in a range of fields, including data science, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing.
- Space Enterprise Lab Daresbury
- The ESA Business Incubation Centre (BIC) supports startups and entrepreneurs in developing innovative products and services using space technologies and applications.
Designing, building, and operating SKAO, the largest scientific instrument in Human history; a next-generation radio astronomy-driven Big Data facility being built across South Africa and Western Australia that will revolutionise our understanding of the Universe and the laws of fundamental physics. Enabled by cutting-edge technology, it promises to have a major impact on society, in science and beyond.
The Observatory also hosts the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky.
UCLan Space: Conducts research in space science and technology, offers courses in space studies, and operates the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute and Jost Institute for Tribotechnology.
The university conducts research in a wide range of areas relevant to the space sector, from materials science and nuclear technology to space systems engineering and graphene.
- ROAR facility (Space Systems Engineering): Provides a testbed for space technology and systems engineering research and development.
- Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre: Collaborates with businesses to accelerate the commercialization of graphene and 2D materials.
- Dalton Nuclear Institute: Conducts research in nuclear technology relevant to space applications.
Partners
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is a main delivery partner for the North West space cluster, providing expertise and support for businesses and organisations in the sector.
A global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm that has a significant presence in the North West of England, providing expertise in a range of sectors, including aerospace, defence, and energy.
A membership organisation that represents and supports businesses and organisations in the space sector in the North of England, providing opportunities for collaboration and business growth.
One of the largest aerospace ecosystems in Europe, contributing over £7 billion to the UK economy, accounting for one quarter of the UK aerospace turnover.
The Cluster works with 5 localities:
Regional Strengths
For more detail, see the Space Capabilities Catalogue. For more information on the technical areas, see the Investor Launchpad Capability Brochures.
Key Activities and Projects
North West Space Cluster is part of a consortium of partners led by Harwell Space Cluster hosting the Satellite Applications Catapult’s a pilot Connected Capabilities Network: the Autonomous and Connected Earth Network (UK-ACE network) will advance the reach and impact of satellite data and space technology across the UK, emphasising the pivotal roles connectivity and autonomy applications play on Earth. The UK-ACE network will work with stakeholders across space and adjacent sectors by hosting engagement events and activities to help catalyse collaboration and investment opportunities using autonomy and connectivity technologies
Strengthening ties between the North West Space Cluster and Midlands Space Cluster, this UK Space Agency funded project brings together the clusters and their respective supply chains, to seize commercial opportunities in novel power systems for deep space applications.