Trio of space technology businesses latest to land at Space Park Leicester

Three new state-of-the-art space technology companies have landed at Space Park Leicester.

DASTEC Consulting, Bloc Digital, and Bluesky are three of the latest firms to move into Space Park Leicester’s 9,700 m2 facility for space-related high-tech companies and researchers.

The small, dedicated team of mechanical and thermal engineers at DASTEC Consulting, now based at Space Park Leicester, have over 50 years’ space industry experience combined. They hope to benefit from facility sharing by networking, collaborating, and learning from other companies at Space Park Leicester whilst offering their own expertise and experience in return.

Darren Yau, Director of DASTEC Consulting, who has 20 years’ space industry experience, said: “At DASTEC Consulting, we’re looking to give back to an industry that’s already given us great careers. We are currently working on a number of small and large-scale projects. We were recently given the opportunity to increase our support to the Open University on another prestigious Luna programme, where we are providing a full suite of engineering services, from design, mechanical and thermal analysis, testing, interface and supplier management and integration.

“There are many, often critical, engineering challenges associated with space flight and access to essential experience and capability is often prohibitive financially, especially for SME’s and start-ups.

“We are passionate about making prime level engineering more accessible and working with people and companies to ensure their hardware gains the required mandatory qualifications often needed for projects – especially with ESA based programs.

“Having a presence at Space Park Leicester will provide DASTEC Consulting with future exciting opportunities to support SME’s and strengthen the space industry, in the UK and globally.”

Bloc Digital, a leading digital visualisation and immersive technology studio, is strengthening its growth in the Space and Earth Observation sector with a research and development presence at Space Park Leicester.

The location of the R&D team at the Space Park will significantly benefit Bloc Digital and the wider space and research sector.

Keith Cox, Co-Founder and Director of Bloc Digital, said: “Creating an innovation presence at Space Park Leicester fully complements Bloc Digital’s strong track record in the integration of evolving technology, academia, and business.

“Space Park Leicester allows us to combine University academic research and innovative and quick access to state-of-the-art facilities with our own industry- pioneering visualisation and immersive innovations.

“Our multi-discipline studio at Space Park Leicester is currently undertaking a major collaboration project with the University of Leicester to develop digital twinning technology for space applications as part of the national SPRINT programme to reduce the time and cost of the satellite development cycle.”

Bluesky, one of the UK’s leading aerial survey and mapping companies, is based in Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire and their “home from home” at Space Park Leicester provides employees with an alternate location for work and meetings.

Rachel Tidmarsh, Managing Director at Bluesky said: “It’s great to be able to surround ourselves with like-minded, innovative people.”

The centrally based hub provides Bluesky with more opportunities to work with companies across the UK.

Rachel added: “Bluesky can be much more accessible via public transport, making it easier for us to schedule meetings with our customers and partners knowing they will have no problems getting to us.”

Professor Richard Ambrosi, Executive Director of Space Park Leicester and Professor of Space Instrumentation and Space Nuclear Power Systems at University of Leicester, said: “We are thrilled to have welcomed DASTEC Consulting, Bloc Digital, and Bluesky to Space Park Leicester where they can take part in world-leading research and development.

“Providing facilities for high-tech businesses to develop their own projects and collaborate in order to develop space related technology is vital for the space industry. They join a host of companies with bases at the Leicester facility, including CGI, Rolls-Royce, AST SpaceMobile and the Satellite Applications Catapult.”

Building on Leicester’s 62-year history of space research, Space Park Leicester offers shared laboratories and teaching facilities which will help place Leicester at the forefront of space technology in the UK.

The £100million hub was established by the University of Leicester in partnership with local, national and international partners, and will incorporate academic research, industrial space, and Earth observation research and development (R&D).

Space Park Leicester boasts workspaces for companies of all sizes from those requiring a single desk to those needing a secure office. To find out more information about workspaces at Space Park Leicester, visit: https://dev.space-park.co.uk/join-us.