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Pioneering satellite technologies with a Virtual Space Campus

Date

Detailed image of space

The UK plays a significant role in developing and applying satellite technologies to address global challenges, and the University of Leeds is at the forefront of this mission. As host of Space Hub Yorkshire (SHY), the University is driving innovation, partnerships, and investment across a rapidly growing sector that is projected to underpin up to £600 billion of UK economic activity by 2030.

Key information

  • Major Funders: UK Space Agency (UKSA), Satellite Applications Catapult (SAC)
  • Partners and collaborators: listed at the end of the page
  • Disciplines: environment, physics and astronomy, earth sciences
  • Investigators: Professor Anna E. Hogg, Glenn McCauley, Professor Iain Clacher, Mandy Ridyard.

Satellites are equipped with Earth-observing sensors that collect invaluable data on the planet’s surface. These data enable researchers to track environmental and anthropogenic changes, from glacial movements in Antarctica and deforestation in the Amazon to pollution incidents and previously undetected methane leaks in UK towns. At Leeds, academics have leveraged these capabilities to deliver impactful research, including the foundation of spin-out company SatSense, which measures ground movement to support infrastructure resilience.

Space Hub Yorkshire Logo

The emergence of Space Hub Yorkshire

Established in 2020 with initial funding from the UK Space Agency (UKSA), SHY was designed to coordinate and catalyse space-related activity across the Yorkshire region. Since then, it has developed into one of the UK’s most prominent regional space clusters. SHY brings together 12 universities, four combined authorities, government agencies, and over 750 organisations across academia, business, and the third sector. This collaborative ecosystem is coordinated through a unique virtual campus hosted by the University of Leeds.

View looking down at earth

The University’s leadership is central to SHY’s success. Professor Anna E. Hogg, based in the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability and Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science, co-founded SHY and continues to direct its scientific activities. Other key University contributors include Glenn McCauley (Research and Innovation Service) and Professor Iain Clacher (Leeds University Business School), Mandy Ridyard, who is the business advisor to the Mayor and SHY Chair, among many others.

Investing in impact

Since 2021, SHY has supported 55 organisations in accessing over £62 million in funding opportunities, with over £14 million secured to date. These include major investments in Earth observation (EO), green finance, resilient communications, and satellite systems engineering. The University of Leeds alone has secured more than £165 million in space-related funding since 2019 and leads on numerous collaborative R&D projects across the region.

Flagship initiatives include:

  • UK-EONS: A national Earth Observation network advancing the application of satellite data for sustainability.
  • GreenSpace: A programme linking space, agriculture, and finance sectors to support green financial models and sustainable farming.
  • Space North: A cross-regional alliance promoting the North of England as a hub for resilient satellite communications, contributing £660 million annually to the UK space economy.

These projects illustrate the regional capability to respond to national strategy. SHY aligns closely with the UK Government’s Space Industrial Plan (2024) and National Space Strategy in Action (2023), reinforcing its importance as a vehicle for policy delivery.

View looking down at earth

Enabling skills and research infrastructure

A core component of SHY’s work is the development of a virtual Space Campus, which has mapped over 600 space-related courses and 24,000 students across Yorkshire’s higher and further education institutions. The University of Leeds contributes more than 11,000 of these students and offers 125 space-related courses. The Space Campus serves as both a strategic asset and a workforce development pipeline, ensuring the sector has access to the talent it needs.

The partnership with institutions such as Hull College, Shipley College, and the University of Bradford exemplifies SHY’s commitment to embedding space in curricula and promoting inclusive participation in the space economy. Through initiatives like the SHY Space Intern Network, student rocketry teams, and research showcases, SHY ensures that students are connected to real-world opportunities in space-related industries.

Satellite in space

Forging new frontiers in research and collaboration

Research at Leeds spans astrophysics, climate science, materials research, electronics, and quantum technologies. Through SHY, this research is more deeply embedded in regional and national innovation ecosystems. Collaborations with industry, including Slipstream Design, Agtelligence, and Filtronic, are already yielding commercial and societal outcomes.

The SHY network’s reach is increasingly global. International delegations, such as those to Japan and Germany, and the USA, have opened new markets and relationships. Notably, SHY’s coordinated trade missions have attracted interest from companies engaged in lunar exploration, Earth observation, and satellite propulsion.

Space monitoring station on earth

Looking ahead

Space Hub Yorkshire continues to evolve as a strategic platform for advancing the UK’s space ambitions. The University of Leeds will remain a central figure in this journey, connecting research excellence to economic growth, education, and societal benefit.

As new challenges emerge, from climate resilience to digital infrastructure, the role of space-enabled technologies will only expand. With its unique blend of research leadership, regional engagement, and cross-sector coordination, SHY is ensuring that Yorkshire remains at the forefront of this vital sector.

Earth

Partners and collaborators

Local government

  • West Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
  • York & North Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
  • Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
  • South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority

Education and research

  • Yorkshire Universities
  • University of Leeds
  • Leeds Beckett University
  • Leeds Trinity University
  • Leeds Arts University
  • Leeds Conservatoire
  • University of Bradford
  • University of Huddersfield
  • University of Hull
  • Sheffield Hallam University
  • University of Sheffield
  • University of York
  • York St John University
  • AMRC
  • 34 FE Yorkshire Colleges

UK Space Cluster Network

  • Space Scotland
  • North Coast Space Cluster
  • NI Space
  • Space North East England
  • North West Space Cluster
  • Midlands Space Cluster
  • Space East
  • Cornwall Space Cluster
  • Space South Central
  • Space West
  • Harwell Space
  • Space Wales
  • Westcott Space Cluster

Government Agencies

  • UK Space Agency (UKSA)
  • Satellite Applications Catapult
  • Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
  • Department for Business and Trade (DBT)

Commercial and Industrial Network

  • Produmax
  • UKSpace
  • Clarion Solicitors
  • PES Performance
  • MPG.