1. Feedback from USA workshop
Dr. Jaime Reed, Space Growth Partnership / Airbus
2. USA Workshop
USA identified as largest space market
Survey confirmed interest in the USA
A mature market with plenty of competition a huge challenge
Held at the Satellite Applications Catapult, 18th September
26 attendees
Presentations from DIT, UKSA, SA Catapult, Oxford Space Systems,
Honeywell, SSTL
Interactive session on strengths/weaknesses & barriers
Clear that relative strengths/weaknesses not understood
3. Barriers
Buyers
• Difficulty to see roadmaps / requirements
• UK not directly marketed – not visible
• Complexity of accessing downstream buyers
• US companies often highly integrated
Promotion
• UK vocabulary upstream/downstream is not
known or articulated
• UKSA/NASA use different terminology
• Value of getting in front of buyers
• Trade missions not flexible/responsive enough
• Cost/focus – need to do research
Trade barriers
• Barriers to the US include regulations,
language and cost of entry
• Meeting buyers is difficult, can we get them to
the UK?
• UK licensing can be slow
Partnerships/Collaboration
• R&D partnerships important to build credibility
and relationships
• Attracting US FDI to the UK can then create
export opportunities to US
• Need to develop links with US universities on
projects which then transition to commercial
opportunities
4. Exports to the USA
SWOT (based on workshop)
Strengths
• Small satellites, digitally processed payloads,
detectors, thrusters, ferrite switch technology,
electric propulsion, sat coms (esp mobile),
deployable systems, space weather
• Low labour cost & tax
• Joined up gov/industry
• Common standards & regulation
• UK intellectual capital
• Access to European market & ESA
Weaknesses
• Small domestic market
• Limited technical base and value chain
• Relative lack of agility at scale
Opportunities
• Access to US market easier in UK
• Strategic relationship
• Launcher programme
• Depreciating pound
• UK/USA trade deal
Threats
• Brexit could lead to a period of confusion
• UK/USA trade deal
• Trump effect & BUY AMERICA
5. Conclusion
A HVC for the USA seems feasible given the pipeline
We are going to develop a strategy for the USA
covering:
Exports to major buyers
Exports promotion
Improved market intelligence
The UK value chain
Ideas for cooperative R&D topics & cooperation
Connecting to investors (e.g. InnovateUK missions)
