Image courtesy NI SPACE
 
Thirteen advanced manufacturing companies have signed up for the unique opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge needed to enter and compete in the high value global space industry, targeting the likes of space industry primes Airbus Defence & Space, Leonardo and Thales Alenia Space. 

 
Delivered in partnership with Invest NI and Space Professionals Partnership Ltd, the Programme is funded by the UK Space Agency’s Ecosystem Development Programme Devolved Administration Fund in Northern Ireland and is an output of the Matrix report, which was issued in March 2025. 
 
Northern Ireland’s reputation for advanced manufacturing and engineering excellence has positioned the region as an ideal partner for the growing global space industry.  With Invest NI and Manufacturing NI stating that there is a base of around 2,200 advanced manufacturing, materials and engineering companies, which combined accounts for 11% of local employment and 13% of Northern Ireland’s GVA, employing around 42,000 people, Northern Ireland represents a significant untapped resource.
 
This sector’s £3.2 billion annual contribution to the Northern Ireland economy underscores its critical importance and readiness to meet the demands of the space industry applications. 
 
Expertise in precision engineering, composites and advanced plastics,  photonics and smart nanotechnologies makes Northern Ireland an attractive location for upstream space companies. 
 
Included in this cohort of companies taking part in the NI Space Ready Programme are CCP Gransden, Denroy Plastics, RLC Group, Resonate Testing, LPE, IPC Mouldings, Springco, AMIC, NUMA Technologies, McGreevy Engineering, NI Precision, Raptor Photonics and Ryobi. 
 
Robert Hill, NI SPACE Cluster Manager explained the benefits of the companies participating in the NI Space Ready Programme: “We are excited to deliver this Programme to our local advanced manufacturing companies. By participating in it, these delegates will enhance their technical capabilities and gain firsthand insight into the rigorous requirements of the space sector. Critically, they will learn how to facilitate the development of products and services specifically tailored to this expanding global industry.
 
“We have the talent and the technical know-how, and now is the time to showcase our engineering and manufacturing expertise to the right people within the space sector – demonstrating the vital role Northern Ireland can play in advanced space technology.”
 
Upon successful completion of the NI Space Ready Programme the companies will travel to Space-Comm Expo Europe in London and showcase their capabilities to a global space audience on a joint Invest NI / NI Space exhibition stand.
 
Kelly Murphy, Advanced Manufacturing and Space Sector Development Manager at Invest NI commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with NI Space on the NI Space Ready Programme, and welcome UK Space Agency funding to make it happen. There is such great potential for local advanced manufacturing companies to be part of Northern Ireland’s growing space cluster  and this Programme is committed to equipping them with the space sector knowledge needed to target the global space sector which is growing at double-digit rates and which is on track to become a multitrillion dollar industry powered by commercial launches, satellites and space-enabled services. 
 
“We will showcase Northern Ireland’s leading supply chain capability at Space-Comm Expo Europe in March 2026 and are looking forward to the Programme participants having the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities to industry leaders.”
 
Meanwhile, Craig Brown, Director of Investment at the UK Space Agency, said: “Northern Ireland has a fantastic reputation for manufacturing and engineering excellence and initiatives like the NI Space Ready Programme will help local companies channel that expertise into the rapidly growing space sector.
 
“We're pleased to support this programme in giving businesses the experience and confidence they need to compete on a global stage — strengthening the UK’s space supply chain and creating new opportunities for the wider economy.”
 
The two-day Space-Comm Expo Europe is taking place from 4th to 6th March 2026 and is supported by key industry associations and influential bodies, showcasing the end-to-end supply chain for products, services and applications supplying and informing commercial enterprises, government and defence organisations and developments in technology. All participants of the NI Space Ready Programme will be in attendance. 
 
The global space market is estimated to be worth $600bn by 2030 and the UK has already superseded its original ambitious target to capture 10% of the global space market share. 
 
This represents a great opportunity for Northern Ireland companies to engage in the space sector from existing and new capabilities in engineering and manufacturing, through to technology transfer in other sectors such as cyber domain and regional excellence in informatics technology development. 
 
It is hoped the delivery of initiatives such as the NI Space Ready Programme will encourage more local companies to explore the opportunities of servicing the space sector.