Member Article

North East entrepreneurs wanted as NETPark programme gets up and running

The North East Space Incubator Programme is ready to take on the first entrepreneurs who will be entitled to £7,500 worth of professional services, as the region looks to establish itself as a centre of excellence and innovation.

Business Durham, the economic development company for County Durham, received a grant from the UK Space Agency earlier this year to set up the programme at the North East Technology Park, (NETPark) in Sedgefield, County Durham.

Entrepreneurs from the region are being encouraged to get on board and receive support on topics ranging from IP protection, financial management, marketing and business planning, based in an environment surrounded by some of the world’s most innovative companies.

The UK Space Agency has plans for the UK to secure ten per cent of the anticipated £400bn global space market by 2030 with incubators such as NETPark set to play a key role.

Catherine Johns, Business Durham’s director of innovation and business growth, said: “The creation of the North East Space Incubator Programme will allow the region to fully realise its potential and build upon the momentum being created by the Satellite Applications Centre of Excellence.

“We can help businesses diversify, innovate and explore the huge potential of this global sector and elevate their ideas to the next level. It will continue to help drive growth and prosperity in the North East.”

The UK Space Agency will help with access to other programmes, such as the National Space Technology Programme, through the Centre for Earth Observation instrumentation and Space Technology.

Colin Baldwin, UK Space Gateway programme manager for the UK Space Agency, said: “There are opportunities for a range of companies developing innovative products that can exploit space data or technology.

“NETPark is a world class location for science and technology companies and will provide a dynamic and supportive environment to accelerate the growth of these ambitious, innovative businesses into markets across the world.”