UK should consider ‘moving away from grants’ for space R&D

For sector to thrive, government should look at its role as customer instead, MPs hear

The UK government needs to consider “much more aggressively” its role as a customer of space R&D rather than a grant-giver, MPs have heard.

Theresa Condor, chief operating officer and director of space-to-cloud data and analytics company Spire Global, told MPs that the country should use procurement to drive focused R&D, like the US. She warned that the US practice of using procurement is the reason why many R&D companies “desperately” try to set up shop across the pond.