Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin and its public sector partners have invested £20m in a County Durham site as the company bids for a Government contract to build a new satellite factory at NETPark, Sedgefield, which could create 500 jobs in the North East.
Optimism is growing that a facility bringing 500 jobs to the North East will go ahead, following revelations that £20m has been pumped into the site.
International aerospace giant Lockheed Martin aims to establish a position in its new satellite factory at NETPark in Sedgefield, County Durham.
The proposal is dependent on the company securing a Government contract to produce and maintain the satellite, with a decision expected before the end of the year. Lockheed Martin is competing with European rival Airbus for the deal, although the North East scheme is reported to have received ministerial support.
The proposed site would focus on the assembly and testing of satellites, with Lockheed indicating that a high-caliber role would result. In excess of 500 direct positions, the facility is expected to become an “anchor” drawing supply chain businesses to County Durham and the wider region.
The company has a long-term goal of creating 2,000 new and skilled jobs.(Photo: Lockheed Martin Corporation)
It has now emerged that the company and its public sector collaborators have committed £20m to the development, raising expectations of the future operations. The North East currently receives the lowest defense investment in the UK, and campaigners believe the satellite factory will help reverse that trend, while delivering on Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s commitment to bring “growth to every postcode”, Chronicle Live reports.
The North East mayoral authority and Business Durham have backed Lockheed Martin’s proposal. If the bid proves successful, the facility will target exports to Europe and possibly the US, while also completing Government contracts.
Lockheed Martin also supports the North East Center for Space Skills Technology (NESST), a £50m facility at Northumbria University designed to increase the North East’s expertise in optical satellite communications, space weather, and space-based energy. The company has also championed the region’s Space Camp program, delivering STEM education to schools and colleges in the Northeast.
Chris Spicer, new regional director for UK and Europe at Lockheed Martin Space, said: “Lockheed Martin Space is investing more than £100m in North East England. This includes our £15m commitment to the North East Space Skills and Technology Center at Northumbria University and the proposed £85m satellite manufacturing facility at NETPark in County Durham.
“We are also looking at long-term regional STEM engagement, local Space Camps and advanced partnerships designed to help the UK’s sovereign space economy.”
NETPark is a science and business park established on the former site of Winterton mental hospital in Sedgefield. Launched in 2004, it has undergone several expansions, becoming home to high-tech companies including Kromek, Filtronic and Pragmatic.