tag: Space Park Leicester
Cover image credits: SPL
Representatives of HMS Daring have visited Space Park Leicester as the Royal Navy ship continues to strengthen its ties with Leicester and the wider county.
The delegation included HMS Daring’s Commanding Officer, Commander Andrew Platt RN, and Weapon Engineer Officer, Lieutenant Commander Adam Thompson RN. They were joined by senior Leicestershire representatives, including Lord-Lieutenant Mike Kapur OBE CStJ, at the University of Leicester’s £100 million space research and innovation hub.
Touring Space Park Leicester and meeting UK space industry partners
The visit included a tour of Space Park Leicester and meetings with organisations active across the UK space sector. Among them were AWE, CGI and Shield Space, giving the naval officers an insight into the research, engineering and commercial work taking place at the site.
Space Park Leicester CEO Will Wells said the visit provided an opportunity to further develop the relationship between HMS Daring and the region.
“It was a privilege for us to help further strengthen the links between the city and the county and HMS Daring during this visit,” Wells said.
The delegation also presented Space Park Leicester with a medal from HMS Daring.
HMS Daring and Leicestershire: how the connection works
The relationship between HMS Daring and Leicestershire dates back to last year, when the county formally established links with the ship. Under the arrangement, HMS Daring will represent Leicester and Leicestershire during deployments around the world, alongside its wider Royal Navy duties.
The ship is currently undergoing a major regeneration programme.
What is Space Park Leicester?
Opened in 2022 and inaugurated by British ESA astronaut Major Tim Peake, Space Park Leicester was established by the University of Leicester as a hub bringing together space research, education and industry.
Its facilities support a broad range of activities across the space sector, including satellite design and engineering, manufacturing, Earth observation, climate research, data analysis and artificial intelligence.
Leicester’s growing space cluster: Space City
The visit comes as Leicester continues to develop its presence within the UK space industry. Space Park Leicester forms part of the wider Space City cluster, a partnership involving Space Park Leicester, the University of Leicester, the National Space Centre, the National Space Academy, DOCK and Leicester City Council. The initiative represents up to £233 million in investment.
Where space meets defence
The relationship with HMS Daring adds a defence element to Leicester’s growing technology ecosystem. Space-based capabilities already support modern naval operations in areas including satellite communications, navigation, Earth observation and data services.
For Leicester, the visit brings together two distinct parts of the region’s technology landscape. HMS Daring will carry the name of Leicester and Leicestershire around the world, while Space Park Leicester is developing the technologies, companies and skills that will contribute to the UK’s future space economy.
