A new facility designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK space sector has officially opened at Airbus Defence and Space’s Stevenage site
The Airbus Launchpad is being supported by £3.9 million in government funding from the UK Space Agency. The Airbus Launchpad is in place to strengthen the national space supply chain and help innovative businesses scale up their capabilities.
The Airbus Launchpad is part of a bigger effort to position the UK as a leading space economy by nurturing homegrown talent, technologists, and commercial opportunities.
Funding for the Airbus Launchpad comes from the UK Space Agency’s Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund and has been match-funded by Airbus, underlining the partnership between government and industry.
A no-cost residency for space innovators
The Airbus Launchpad offers a no-cost residency programme for SMEs, start-ups, and research organisations working in the space sector.
Resident companies have access to laboratories, workspaces, and specialist testing facilities at Airbus’ Stevenage site, one of the UK’s most significant locations in the space industry.
Airbus Launchpad can accommodate more than 50 people at any one time, creating a collaborative environment where smaller businesses can work alongside one of the world’s largest aerospace companies.
By lowering barriers to entry and reducing infrastructure costs, the programme is designed to accelerate innovation and commercial readiness among early-stage and scaling companies.
The three companies that are set to take up residence from early February include Applied Atomics, Spintc, and Stars Edge. This will be the first cohort to benefit from the new space.
The UK’s space supply chain
The Airbus Launchpad has been established with a clear focus on strengthening the UK space supply chain. By embedding SMEs within an industrial environment, the initiative supports closer collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of skills critical to the future of the sector.
This also helps to diversify the supply chain, reducing reliance on overseas capabilities and encouraging the development of new technologies within the UK.
The Airbus Launchpad supports the ambition of building long-term resilience and competitiveness across the national space industry.
The Airbus Launchpad is the latest facility to open with support from the Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund, which is focused on developing world-class infrastructure across the UK’s growing space clusters.
Earlier this month, the Westcott Space Hub in Buckinghamshire officially opened following £5.8 million in government backing. The £20 million hub provides testing facilities, training spaces, and commercial workspace for space businesses, further expanding the ecosystem available to innovators and manufacturers.
The Westscott Space Hub, along with the Airbus Launchpad, shows the national strategy to support space-related research, development, and commercialisation across multiple regions.
The Launchpad is also part of Airbus’ Community for Space Prosperity programme, which aims to grow UK space supply chain activity through research, innovation, and outreach.
