Antenna specialist Celestia confirms Heriot-Watt site as Scots base

Celestia UK, a specialist in antenna systems to track satellites, has today announced that Heriot-Watt University’s Research Park will be its permanent base in Scotland – and it will create 18 jobs.

José Alonso, chairman of Celestia UK’s parent company Celestia Technologies Group. Picture: contributed.

The company stated that establishing roots at the site, which it said is the largest science park in Scotland’s capital, will enable it to start its next development phase.

That includes setting up new lab and assembly facilities, while it will also gain access to a larger base to deliver “cutting-edge” innovation in satellite-on-the-move user terminals and gateway systems.

Dutch-owned Celestia UK also noted that the move follows a five month residency at the university’s Global Research Innovation and Discovery (Grid) facility. Celestia earlier this year obtained a £2.5 million research and development (R&D) award from Scottish Enterprise to develop a new electronic scanning antenna, and it is hiring engineers across several disciplines.

The Celestia UK Building at Heriot-Watt Research Park. Picture: contributed.

The firm added that at its new facilities in the globally renowned Research Park it will design and produce a flat panel satellite antenna for aircraft, pioneering a next-generation satellite link for enhanced in-flight connectivity.

It comes as companies in the sector increased to 132 from 104 between 2016 and 2019, and nearly a fifth of jobs in the UK space sector are now based in Scotland, according to the UK Space Agency.

José Alonso, chairman of Celestia UK’s parent company Celestia Technologies Group, said: “We moved to Grid at Heriot-Watt University in January, having chosen Scotland because of its burgeoning space sector, which is characterised by a high level of skill, R&D and investment.”

He also praised the enterprise team at Grid for its pivotal role in helping it establish its business in Edinburgh and strengthen its links with the university and local businesses.

Alonso added: “To fuel our growth, we’re able to build a team from a wealth of talent on the doorstep at Heriot-Watt and other universities, as well as from professionals within the Scottish space industry who value the location, facilities and beautiful environment of the Research Park.”

The site lets Celestia UK establish lab facilities as well as offices, and to connect with other companies with similar facilities and expertise, the firm said.Alonso also stated: “Being on site at an early stage is key for our business and we look forward to the growth opportunities this will bring.”

Paul Devlin, head of commercialisation at Heriot-Watt, welcomed Celestia UK to the university. “With Heriot-Watt’s expertise in delivering commercial, strategic and innovation support, we look forward to future collaborations and helping companies grow into exciting, profitable, world-class businesses.

“Celestia UK is a hugely innovative technology business and a natural fit for the Research Park.”

SCOTSMAN.COM

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