The Gallifrey Group (GG) is an industry-led consortium of Defence/Space companies and complementing UK universities. Their aspiration is to provide ‘the best UK Space offer’ by bringing together the most cutting-edge equipment from British industry, using academia to push the boundaries of their products. The group is an eclectic mix of UK Prime Contractors and SMEs, who discuss their products and aspirations in university ‘Workshop’ events, to get suggestions and feedback about their equipment and future strategies. PhD students are crucial to the future STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) programmes and the strong link to the Defence/Space industry provides feeder opportunities for future jobs in industry, as well as future research programmes for universities. With several universities looking at more Space-related courses in their portfolio, the close links with British industry and the UK side to US Primes is crucial to future growth in the Defence/Space sector.
The GG was formed in the Defence Security Organisation in the Department of International Trade. A Pipeline of Defence/Space companies was formed with aspirations to sell to the USA with additional support from the UK Space Agency, MoD and ADS. Within several months of furious activity, the first Year Book was compiled, which you are now reading. This book details the formation of the group, their links, skills, equipment and aspirations for the year ahead, to provide a strong message to the Defence/Space industry, both in the UK and overseas. The British Space sector is not a vast one, but understanding the progress made by industry, government departments and academics in 2018, a strong offer has already been put on the table with The Gallifrey Group 2019 Year Book. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading it.
The space industry is a rapidly growing sector, within which the UK has the opportunity to showcase its capability through the experience and innovation of primes, SMEs and academia. The collaboration with Academia is giving rise to a strong synergy between members of The Gallifrey Group, taking a lateral thinking approach to existing terrestrial products and adapting them for space; as well as assisting in the development of new technologies through bespoke workshops, thus assuring that the UK space offer remains relevant.
In the coming year, as well as planning our first outward mission to the US, The Gallifrey Group will attract more members from both industry and academia, increasing its already diverse capability, collectively identifying intellectual requirements for the development of new technologies in the sector. The Gallifrey Group was created to deliver a clear Defence/Space offer, to put the cutting edge of UK technology on one very visible platform. It is also the group’s intention to highlight the UK offer to civilian space, such as NASA, and promote inward investment toward UK space opportunities in the South West and Scotland. We have achieved a great deal in a short period of time, I expect the same pace in the coming years. Collaborative experiences always yield more than the sum of their parts, and by bringing British industry and academia together with the right government support, The Gallifrey Group can achieve much.
The Gallifrey Group’s strategy going forwards into 2019 is simple: grow, learn and get out the UK Space message. It’s as simple as that. Underpinning this statement is the message: We provide Space Solutions. This is an important point because although The Gallifrey Group was started as a Defence/Space group, they are already so much more. They still have their traditional reach into Defence through DSO/ADS and MoD, but they are now reaching out more directly to NASA, as well as academics, who are not biased or concerned about Defence applications. ‘It became quite apparent early on that the group was more than Defence,’ Craig Cabell (DSO) said. ‘That’s why they had to be industry-led. They needed the opportunity to make their own commercial decisions, such as their interests in helping to build Space-related centres around the Cornwall area. They are entrepreneurs and are really the first true pioneers in the UK Space sector. If you think that NASA and other areas around Florida and Houston, Texas, have theme parks and tours of their Space-related installations, you can see where tourism, jobs and education can benefit from the opportunity of a local Space Port.’
The Gallifrey Group are keen to support the UK Space dream, not just sell their products to friendly nations. A fundamental part of their work is in education, and the RAF 100 Legacy supports the Gallifrey Group in reaching out to students across the UK and making them aware of STEM opportunities and future jobs in science and engineering (see Annex A). Perhaps the most crucial part of The Gallifrey Group’s work is to make contact with Acquisition Managers in specific Space programmes. To forge relationships with universities engaged in Space programmes across the United States, as well as find out what sub-contractual/partnering opportunities there are going forwards. The group are already exploring an Outward Mission to the US in May 2019 with government support, and are already in conversations with the US State Department, the Department of Commerce, the Office of Defense Cooperation, RDECOM, Naval Research Labs, FCT, by working closely with DSO and the US Embassy.
As 2019 progresses, The Gallifrey Group intend to build upon the contacts they make and explore where UK technologies and services can continue to build the Space Answer. ‘The Space Answer is the joint success the UK enjoys with its major allies, keeping ahead of the aggressor and anticipating and countering problems and other challenges that lay ahead,’ Craig Cabell said. ‘The Gallifrey Group are already considering their participation in a White House endorsed five-eyes summit in the US in the summer and, as they move forwards, and gather more support and exposure, other opportunities will be afforded them.’ The Gallifrey Group will continue their academic workshops throughout 2019, reaching across the UK, not just the South West. They intend to keep strong ties to DSO/MoD, including the RAF, who have invited them to networking events with official US delegations at the RAF Club in London and 1-2-1 engagements at major Defence and Security shows in both the UK and the US, where the UK Space Agency intend to offer additional support.
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