A state-of-the-art space manufacturing facility designed to revolutionise lightweight space structures has officially opened in Hardwicke, Gloucester, creating up to 2,000 new jobs and marking a major milestone for the UK’s growing space industry.
The Advanced Composites Manufacturing Enterprise (ACMA), led by iCOMAT, a University of Bristol spin-out, received £4.8 million from the UK Space Agency’s Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) to help establish the 45,000 sq. ft. automated production site.
The new facility at Gateway 12 Business Park will use iCOMAT’s Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS) technology — a cutting-edge process that produces ultra-lightweight, high-performance composite structures for satellites and spacecraft. The innovation promises to make space vehicles lighter, more efficient and more sustainable.
At the launch event, attended by representatives from the UK and European Space Agencies and international partners including Lockheed Martin, Orbex, and Thales Alenia Space, guests were shown live demonstrations of the pioneering technology.
Space Minister Liz Lloyd hailed the opening as “a win for British ingenuity”, adding:
“The innovative technology developed here will support everything from our thriving satellite industry to future deep space missions.”
iCOMAT founder and CEO Dr Evangelos Zympeloudis said the investment would “create opportunities for the UK to strengthen its position in the global market”, while Antonia Yendell, Head of Space Ecosystem Development at the UK Space Agency, called the facility “a beacon of UK space manufacturing excellence”.
With total investment exceeding £8.2 million, including private match funding, the site will serve as a national hub for advanced composite production, supporting not only space but also the aerospace and automotive sectors.