Glasgow has emerged as Europe’s largest producer of small satellites. This growth is not the result of government planning, but of a natural evolution of engineering talent and industry partnerships.
How Glasgow Built a Space Industry
In 2005, Craig Clark returned to Glasgow to start Clyde Space. The company focused on CubeSats — small satellites measuring 10cm cubed.
These satellites are modular. They can be stacked and equipped with sensors, cameras, or communication tools. Their size makes them cheaper and faster to develop than traditional satellites.
Clyde Space partnered with the University of Strathclyde. The university provided engineering expertise and a steady stream of graduates. This collaboration helped build a local ecosystem.
Other companies followed: Craft Prospect, Alba Orbital. American firm Spire chose Glasgow as its European base in 2015. This helped grow a full value chain — from manufacturing to launch and ground stations.
What the Industry Has Achieved
More than two decades after the first satellite company was established there, the Scottish Government says more small satellites are built in Glasgow than anywhere else in Europe.
Across Scotland, the wider space industry generated £335m in income in 2022-23 — up 69% in five years. Excluding traditional satellite television broadcasting, it employed 2,811 people, an increase of 81% over the same period.
Space manufacturing alone accounted for more than 1,000 Scottish jobs in 2022-23. The wider industry generated £202m for the Scottish economy.
At the University of Strathclyde, over 100 people now work in space-related roles. The subject is now a strategic priority. Graduates increasingly go into local space jobs.
Why This Matters
Space data is now woven into everyday life. It helps with navigation, transport, energy networks, and climate monitoring.
For governments, satellite data supports emergency response and informed decision-making. As capabilities grow, space becomes more central to national infrastructure.
Challenges Ahead
Bavaria is emerging as a significant European hub for aerospace and defence technology. Germany’s Defence Ministry says it plans to invest around €35bn (£30bn) in military space capabilities in the coming years, including more than 100 encrypted communications satellites.
Finland’s aerospace firm ICEYE specialises in synthetic aperture radar (SAR), satellites, which can produce images of the Earth’s surface through cloud and darkness. These have been used in the war in Ukraine, where satellite imagery can provide intelligence — for example, spotting a Russian vessel in a Crimean port — when clouds or darkness prevent ground-based observation.
What to Watch Next
Scotland’s new SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland could add another layer to the sector. It may attract more launch and manufacturing activity.
While Glasgow has a strong foundation, the next phase of growth may follow the money — and that could mean moving elsewhere.
As one expert notes: ‘We are in a great position right now. But if we get complacent, we can fall behind again.’
Scotland’s space story began in a shipyard. Now, it’s building satellites for the world — one CubeSat at a time.
For more on the UK space sector, see the original BBC report.
Sources & further reading
Featured image: The Glasgow Art Club 02 – gallery space on ground… by Stinglehammer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Image source · License
