His Majesty King Charles III visited the UK’s largest space cluster recently to mark the official opening of the UK Space and Defence Gateway. The initiative aligns with the principles of the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Astra Carta, a framework launched by His Majesty, as Prince of Wales, to ensure the space sector supports a sustainable future. This dedicated space and defence sector hub at Harwell Campus near Oxford is set to drive collaboration between government, academia, innovators and industry. It will link innovation to investment, building partnerships to shape tomorrow’s space and defence economy.

More information www.harwellcampus.com

A landmark investment to build next-generation industrial and manufacturing capabilities for future aerospace production has officially opened at the University of Sheffield AMRC. The £54m open-access Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS) R&D facility, which has Boeing as its first user, opened earlier this month. It is set to de-risk and accelerate high-rate, large-scale composite production and marks a major step in securing the long-term future of UK aerospace manufacturing by enabling production at true rate and scale. Demand indicates that more than 40,000 aircraft will be needed over the next 20 years.

More information www.amrc.co.uk

Oxford Technology is investing in BeyondFence, a robotics company developing ISO-compliant technology that allows humans and robots to work safely together without traditional physical safety barriers. BeyondFence replaces safety perimeters with certified intelligence built around the robot’s surface. By integrating this touch-detection technology, BeyondFence empowers robots to freeze movement instantly upon physical contact with a human hand or torso, for example. The investment from Oxford Technology will support the company’s initial operating costs as it progresses toward securing its first commercial sale.

More information www.oxfordtechnology.com

Intelligent Energy (IE), a specialist hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer, has unveiled a 120 kW hydrogen fuel cell power system for heavy-lift fixed-wing drones and secured its largest commercial order to date in the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) sector. The twin milestones come as Intelligent Energy’s UAV business continues to grow, driven by rising demand for hydrogen-powered drones capable of flying further, carrying heavier payloads and operating for longer than battery-powered alternatives. The announcements follow the UK Government’s commitment to invest £5bn in drones and autonomous systems.

More information www.intelligent-energy.com