The UK and Australia have announced millions of dollars of additional grant funding for initiatives aimed at helping the environment and capitalising on opportunities in space.

The announcement of a £13 million funding boost from the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund was made on Monday, 8 April at the 39th Space Symposium being held in Colorado Springs, USA.

“I am delighted that today we have been able to support new space collaborations with private organisations from countries like the US, Australia, Canada, India and Singapore,” said the UK Space Minister at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Andrew Griffith.

This is the second round of investment awarded through the £20 million International Bilateral Fund. Phase 1 in 2023 funded 32 projects up to £75,000 each, all of which were entered into a competitive process for further funding from Phase 2.

For Phase 2, the International Bilateral Fund has been bolstered by a co-funding commitment from the Australian Space Agency to the value of $3 million. Several of the Phase 2 Projects involve Australian partners, with those of direct interest to the geospatial sector being (approx. Phase 2 grant allocation figures):

• Surrey Satellite Technologies Ltd (UK) and partners Assimila (UK), RAL Space (UK), Pixalytics (UK), Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (UK), CSIRO (Australia), SmartSat CRC (Australia), Airbus in Asia Pacific (Australia). A £1,000,000 grant for developing a system of actionable information on inland and coastal water quality. The project will bring together space and water experts to develop an innovative approach to assess and predict water quality and its impacts on ecosystems while providing a pathway to a strategic sharing of a satellite solution between the UK and Australia.
• University of Strathclyde (UK) and partners University of Arizona (USA), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA), University of Waterloo (Canada), Columbiad Launch Services (Canada), GMV UK, LIFT ME OFF Ltd, The Alan Turing Institute (ATI), Nominal Systems (Australia). A £1,500,000 grant for escalating the technology readiness of AI technology applied to space safety and sustainability, from concept to adoption by the space sector. The project aims to lay the foundations for an international virtual institute supporting the future development of AI technology for space sustainability.

Commenting on the Australian funding contribution, Enrico Palermo, Head of the Australian Space Agency, said that “This funding builds on the collaboration fostered through the UK-Australia Space Bridge. By working with our international partners like the UK, we can continue to grow the Australian space sector while delivering outcomes that benefit communities in both of our nations.”

“From addressing food security and water scarcity to the health of our waterways, the projects being supported through this fund reiterate how space can help address the biggest global challenges we are facing — as well as the power of working together to solve a common problem.”