UK Space Agency funds the innovation of space technologies in the heart of Glasgow

The UK Space Agency has awarded funding to the Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at the University of Strathclyde, with a view to aiding the dept. in the development of AI technologies enhancing space safety and sustainability. As a former student in the dept., this is welcome news indeed.

As 1 of only 32 successful candidates from a total of 125 applicants, the university is entitled to a share of £2.1 million intended to catalyse the development of AI technologies applicable to enhance the safety and sustainability of space operations.

Importantly, this share of £2.1 million represents a portion of funding granted in the name of the UK Space Agency's International Bilateral Fund - a fund totalling £20 million in value. Not only does this fund aim to financially support technological innovation, the fund also aims to connect UK organisations with their counterparts in countries all over the globe - including the US, Canada, Australia and Japan. In doing so, the fund hopes to further catalyse technological innovation in the space sector through international, collaborative efforts. The University of Strathclyde, for example, will work with universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a beneficiary of the International Bilateral Fund.

Not only does this award of funding bring financial gain and increased innovative capabilities, it also positions the university - and by extension Glasgow itself - at the forefront of a global effort to develop innovative space technologies. In doing so, this award shows Glasgow to be a beacon of technological innovation - one which is sure to attract increased investment, bolstering the UK's economy and space sector expertise in the process.

No longer a student at the university, but instead a trainee patent attorney (still based in the heart of Glasgow), the prospect of increased commercial gain for innovators having developed innovative space technologies makes the above news all the more welcome.

Earlier in the year, an IP workshop highlighting the available forms of IP protection applicable to space-(and aviation-) related technological innovations was delivered to members of the university's MAE dept. by myself and a colleague of mine. The workshop also provided a case study providing real-world proof of the benefits of strong IP protection in the space sector, and the vast potential for commercial gain which follows.

The dedication of the University of Strathclyde to space-related technological innovation, and to the protection of IP with a view to commercial gain, therefore, is well-known to us here at Marks & Clerk. As innovation in the space sector continues to flourish, in the heart of Glasgow and beyond, Marks & Clerk remains keen to aid the university and like-minded organisations in gaining the most effective IP protection possible.