A new executive agency will be created to take the U.K.’s recession-busting space and satellite sector into a new space age, Science and Innovation Minister Lord Drayson said today. This new bureaucracy busting agency will replace the British National Space Centre and bring together, for the first time, the six Government departments, two research councils, the Technology Strategy Board and the Met Office that currently oversee the organisation of U.K. space activities to enhance efficiencies.

The Government’s ambitious plans to accelerate growth and jobs within the nation's space industry were set out in Lord Drayson’s speech at the Appleton Space Conference. Space has been one of the nation’s unsung economic success stories in recent years — and a thriving sector will be vital in building Britain’s future. The U.K. space and satellite sector has grown in real terms by around 9 percent a year since 1999/00 — more than three times faster than the economy as a whole. These recession-busting trends are testament to the type of businesses that will generate the jobs of the future, which currently contributes 6.5 billion pounds n a year to the U.K. economy and supports 68,000 jobs. The U.K. is also currently second in the world only to the USA in space science.

The new agency will allow the U.K. to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by a world increasingly dependent on advances in space innovations and science.  It will safeguard the nation’s critical mass of skills and expertise and will bring together a range of budgets into one place improving strategic decision making.

Lord Drayson said, “Our space sector hasn't missed a beat during this recession. This is the classic story of outstanding UK science and entrepreneurship continuing to create jobs and achieve exceptional growth. The new space agency is about making sure that the UK fully exploits its competitive advantage in satellites, robotics and related technologies.“