Scottish space science is creating a better future on Earth - Paul Thomas

As an outsized player in both the UK and international space industry, Scotland has developed capabilities in small satellite manufacturing, rocket and launch vehicle manufacturing, vertical and horizontal launch, data analysis, and earth observation over the past 20 years. Notable examples include satellite building projects on the West Coast along the River Clyde, and spaceports up in the north of the country. The nation’s space industry contributed just under £1 billion in gross value added in 2017/2018 – according to the SNIB – and growth hasn’t shown signs of slowing since.

But space itself isn’t the final frontier. Humanity’s fascination with what’s out there has long fuelled innovation on our planet. Everything from Velcro and digital photography to solar panels – even the technology for the iPhone owes a debt to the 1960s space race.

Scotland’s space industry innovators are now working to solve the sector’s conflicts with emissions reduction goals. According to SDI, Scottish rocket fuels already produce up to 90 per cent less carbon than those used elsewhere in the world – fuelling sustainable growth of the industry and unlocking a carbon-efficient solution that could, in the future, be used to fuel activities here on Earth. This and other developments could achieve a 50 per cent drop in the nation’s space sector emissions by 2030.

​Revenue generated by the global space sector is set to hit more than $1 trillion by 2040 (Picture: stock.adobe.com)

Revenue generated by the global space industry is poised to soar to over $1 trillion by 2040 – and this isn’t just generated by sending astronauts to space. The technologies coming out of contemporary space science are revolutionising life on Earth. Access barriers to space are crumbling and non-space entities are now seeking to leverage the benefits for Earth, as well as the great beyond.

Across all industries, observation from space is emerging as a powerful means by which businesses can make powerful decisions on Earth – through gathering information on remote inaccessible areas and detecting what human eyes can’t see, continuously monitoring assets without the need for targeted physical surveys, and providing a direct outlook on our planet to secure insights into sustainability and environmental factors.

At Accenture, we’re embracing space technology to help solve some of our clients’ greatest challenges. In collaboration with Duke Energy in the US, we’ve created a first-of-its-kind real-time methane emissions monitoring platform, allowing companies to move to a “find it, fix it” leak management model, leveraging high-resolution satellite images. This kind of technology, which utilises artificial intelligence, could prove essential in Scotland, where a recent survey by High Meadows Environmental Institute of North Sea offshore oil and gas operations showed more methane leakage than previously estimated – the equivalent of the emissions from 330,000 cars. Satellite technology could help Scotland cut its methane leaks and emissions to stay on track for net zero.

The Scottish space industry is now ushering in a new era – one of commercial space launches and emissions-reduction technology that promises to expand our space exploration capabilities while also improving life on Earth.

​Paul Thomas, Global Space Innovation Lead, Accenture (Picture: Colin Sharp)

The new space age has only just begun, and Scotland is leading the way to a future where technology enables us both to reach the stars and to create a better world. Now is the perfect time for Scottish businesses and investors to start forging strategic alliances with industry titans and emerging players to collaborate on groundbreaking projects that span space and beyond.

​Paul Thomas, Global Space Innovation Lead, Accenture