HARWELL, U.K., 2 May 2014. Thales Alenia Space launches new British subsidiary Thales Alenia Space UK, expanding its presence in Europe.
Thales Alenia Space UK, based at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus (HISC) in Oxfordshire, furthers the company’s strategy to bolster its presence in key countries that invest heavily in the space sector. It follows the opening of Thales Alenia Space subsidiary in Germany in 2011, and the extension of the presence of Thales Alenia Space in Belgium by the creation of an office in Leuven.
Officials opted to locate a new subsidiary in the U.K. based on the U.K. Government’s commitment to fund space activities and create new initiatives to foster growth in the space industry, such as the formation of the U.K. Space Agency, increased contribution to the European Space Agency (ESA), investment in the U.K. Space Gateway at Harwell, and securing a significant share of the Neosat program for the U.K.
Thales Alenia Space UK will be an integral part of Thales Alenia Space Neosat prime engineering activities, and will contribute to the design and production of the propulsion subsystem for this new platform, officials say. The announcement comes as the UK Government outlines its response to the Space Growth Action Plan, building on the work of the joint industry-government Space Innovation & Growth Strategy 2010-2030.
“Globally, the space industry is moving very fast, and there is exponential growth in demand for space-based communications, navigation, and observation,” says Martin Gee, CEO of Thales Alenia Space UK. Thales Alenia Space’s decision to come to the U.K. is a direct result of the UK Government’s work to create a space-friendly R&T environment, new access to funding and an effective business support network.”
“Through this new subsidiary, Thales Alenia Space UK will support the U.K. Space Agency in meeting their ambitious goals, and play a key role in the development of new skilled jobs in the most advanced space technologies,” says Thales Alenia Space President and CEO Jean Loïc Galle says. “This approach is a natural fit with the company’s strategic plan of enhanced growth for the coming years.”
