The UCLan Engineering Innovation Centre (EIC) in Preston was the venue for the second meeting of the North West Space Cluster on the 23rd February.
The event was chaired by the North West Space Cluster Development Manager Alan Cross. Following lunch Professor Robert Walsh gave an overview of the space activities being carried out at UCLan. The University had made a strategic decision to bring all Space related work together. UCLan has been for many years active in the US Sounding Rocket programme and had experiments launched from White Sands with the next launch due in 2024 from Alaska. Areas of expertise included Space Weather instrumentation, use of graphene in space, tribology with ESTL (Warrington) and ESA Lab.
A new development was appointment as the UK’s representative office for UN-SPIDER.org. This is a Space based information and co-ordination centre for disaster relief.
Martin Jones then described UCLan’s Innovation Clinic which was a multidisciplinary working environment.
Next was a Panel Session on “Supporting Businesses to Diversify into the Space Sector.” The panellists were Professor Robert Walsh, Martin Jones and Paul Bell from the North West Aerospace Alliance with Alan Cross mediating. Many of the attendees were from the Aerospace industry and there was much debate on exactly how such companies could get involved in Space and the benefits for them. Active participants from the floor included Paula Gill, North West Aerospace Alliance Chair and NSC Board Members Bob Morris and Will Chambers.
There then followed a series of 5 minute ‘lightening pitches’.
Ian Sherrington, UCLan, described a planned space borne lubricant testing service. Stuart Cordingley explained how Catax can save development organisations by identifying tax relief. Jerrod Hartley, Airframe Designs, described the company’s capability in failure and stress analysis and additive manufacturing. Thomas Kerr, an Altrincham based tax advisor described their business services.
Nathan Shoesmith, described his role as the Space Sector Lead for the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership. Others included, Vicky Duncalf of multi media company Star Factory Productions, Daniel Camileri of BOW Limited specialists in quantum computing, David Carmichael from space lawyers Field Fisher LLP and Jonathan Smith of the Hartree Centre in STFC Daresbury. Finally Mike Limb from Marks & Clerk, specialist intellectual property lawyers and John Pinder who explained what the Aerospace Society in UCLan do.
Following this there was a guided tour of the EIC building where attendees saw a wide range of engineering facilities and ongoing work including an actual sounding rocket, immersive and desk top flight simulators, composite workshops, UAV’s, drones used to help clear mine fields and haptic robots.
Another very successful and interesting North West Space Cluster meeting.