The next item of business is a debate on motion <IP_ADDRESS> in the name of Richard Lochhead on opportunities for the space sector in Scotland. I would invite those members who would wish to speak in the debate to please press the request to speak buttons and I call on Minister Richard Lochhead to speak to and to move the motion around 12 minutes, please. I am delighted to host today's debate on Scotland's space sector. It's a Scottish success story and a sector that's opening up new frontiers, delivering benefits for humankind, our planet and our economy. I hope that this will be the first in a series of debates that shines a light on Scotland's transformative and growing cutting edge sectors of the future. The Industrial Revolution is the name of a time of great change in industry, technology and science, and we're all familiar with the Industrial Revolution. In the 1780s, the liftoff decade for the Industrial Revolution, Scotland played a leading role, paving the way for what came after and for the modern world. I believe that this decade is the liftoff decade for the further revolutions that are changing our lives and shaping our futures. With rapid advances in technology, we've got the next zero agenda and AI and other issues as well. Once again, ingenuity, innovation and invention and our talented people are allowing our relatively small country to play a leading role. The space sector is one industry that exemplifies both the pace of change and our country's leadership. When people think of space, they may think of NASA and Spittnik or the race to put a man in the moon or enormous rockets and shuttles putting astronauts into orbit. That's not really any longer the case because space has become a fundamental aspect of modern day life. Providing us with services that help us to navigate, stay connected, use our credit card and banking apps anywhere in the world, monitor climate change and predict the weather and commercial entities are driving growth, the innovation that we need and competition to satisfy what is now an insatiable requirement for data. In 2018, there was an estimated 2,000 active satellites in orbit. Today, the number is around 5,000. By 2030, it's forecast to reach 27,000. The global market for the space sector is projected to grow to £490 billion by 2030, and that's just the start. Going forward, there will be a wealth of opportunities that can see science fiction become scientific fact from space-age energy to asteroid mining and in-orbit manufacturing to name just a few of the visions that people are painting at the moment for what may happen in space. Indeed, asteroid mining may sound far fetched but members may or may not be aware of asteroid 16 Psyche, a metallic body that exists within the main asteroid belt. At 1.16 the diameter of the Earth's moon, it is estimated to contain vast quantities of precious metals, estimated to be worth many times the global economy. Our own space sector has grown rapidly in the past 10 years, but the Scottish space sector traditionally had a strong academic base long before that, predominantly focused on earth science here in Edinburgh. That strong base continues to this day. For instance, Scottish skills and innovation played an important role in the development of the James Webb telescope, but it is the more recent miniaturisation and standardisation of spacecraft over the past decade that has supported Scotland's sector to flourish. I'm very grateful to the minister for giving way. I wonder if that also presents one of the challenges in that those skills are very much based on academic research, but as we scale and grow the space industry, we will need to move those skills into those that look more technical. Will that require a change in terms of our approach in terms of skills development to support that sustained growth? Daniel Johnson outlines a very important challenge, because as this sector grows, solo demand for people—and it's important and a point that was made to me by the industry just in the last few days—is that it's a variety of skills that the sector will require going forward, from welders to scientists to engineers and so on. It's important that the skills system adapts for the needs for many of our growing sectors in Scotland at the moment. Of course, we've got our current review underway and other steps are being taken. However, there has been enormous change and I've outlined the main change in terms of the size of the satellites, but they have gone from the size of double-decker buses to that of a shoebox. The cost has dropped from tens of millions to hundreds of thousands of pounds and the time to design, build and deploy has reduced from 10 to 20 years to six months. As I found out during my visits yesterday, Glasgow is at the heart of this transformation, growing from two people in a room to numerous companies now employing hundreds of high-skilled satellite engineers and now building more small satellites than any other place outside of California. There I was by the Clyde yesterday. The Clyde is famous for building the world's ocean-going vessels but holding in my hand the small space vessels that are now being built there in the 21st century and today supporting humankind and protecting our planet. Those satellites are now tracking global aviation and shipping, forecasting weather and helping to prevent, for instance, forest fires in the Amazon. However, satellites are only valuable in so much as they can provide the right data at the right time to support more effective decision making. In Scotland, we also have expertise in data gathering and analysis. Scotland is the data-driven capital of Europe, with Edinburgh hosting the largest centre for informatics in Europe and having more than 170 data science companies. We also have a number of excellent downstream data companies that are monitoring the earth's forests and crops or making pure-to-pure trading much more fairer and easier and delivering precise positioning services on a global scale to an accuracy of less than five centimetres. That will turn aid autonomous vehicles, precision agriculture and the internet of things as well. Those capabilities are providing a wealth of opportunities but what will set Scotland apart is the full end-to-end value chain, a one-stop shop for small satellites. Paul Sooney, I thank the minister for giving ways to make a very interesting speech but one aspect of that value chain is maintaining Scottish ownership of the value chain and I was disappointed to see that Clyde Space, one of the Scotland's real stars in the sector, was bought over by a Swedish company in 2019. Can you understand the reasons why that happened, perhaps access to capital scaling constraints in Scotland? How do we address those challenges to maintain control? Well, again, that's an important part of the debate and I think there's two ways of looking at that. Firstly, we would not have the burgeoning space industry sector in Scotland just now without the inward investment and that comes through a variety of routes in terms of venture capital or takeovers but likewise we want to grow Scottish companies, particularly those that are spinning out of our fantastic universities and hopefully they will grow into substantial Scottish companies and we have to get that balance right and the member is quite right to highlight that debate. However, the end-to-end capability that I was referring to is so important in terms of Scotland's advantages because it will support our ambition to become a leading space nation in Europe and capture a £4 billion share of the global market and up to 20,000 jobs over the next 10 years. Now, launch is the final gap and that gap will soon be closed as well. Our vertical space sports in the Shetland Isles and in Sutherland are due to commence operations shortly and these will be followed by suborbital activity in the Western Isles and horizontal launches from Presswick supported through the islands and Ayrshire growth deals, significant investments in those areas. Our space sports are attracting international customers from Europe and the US but we also have domestic companies developing their own launch vehicles. Skyrora are planning to launch their XL vehicle from Sacks of Oord which will also play host to the UK's pathfinder launch from Lockheed Martin. Whilst Orbex from my own constituency Murray will launch their prime vehicle from Sutherland having completed their latest funding round for £40.4 million led by a £17.8 million investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank. They are now ramping up recruitment towards their first launch with around 100 people employed across three buildings. I attended the Orbex vehicle unveiling last year and it was an absolutely awesome spectacle and I am very much looking forward to visiting the team again in the coming days. It is not just the economic price however that makes space such a key opportunity. It is the role in the global fight for instance against global climate change which is also equally as important as the economic contribution. Data and imagery from satellites is critical to monitoring changes in our planet and again here is another area for Scotland is genuinely world leading. The industry is very sensitive to that global conversation about climate change and its own role within that. Both as a force for good via climate monitoring and mitigating its own environmental impact as well through manufacturing processes launch and end of life. Sustainability is at the heart of the Scottish space sector and it is a key area of the Scottish Government strategy. Last year we launched the world's first sustainable space road map to encourage responsible growth and set us on the path to becoming the greenest space sector in the whole of the world. The world has taken notice and they want to learn from Scotland about embedding sustainability in the industry and the whole Scottish space community are already taking action to reduce their carbon footprint and support the transition to net zero. Our launch manufacturers are using lightweight materials, innovative designs and fuels to develop green launch vehicles and we launched an innovation challenge fund to help Scottish businesses to develop innovative space-based solutions that can support the net zero transition. We can also develop the solutions to the problems of other nations as well and we have already built up strong international interests including organising a dedicated mission to Switzerland which took place to promote the Scottish sector and space is by its nature a global sector. That means significant opportunities but also strong competition. International positioning and marketing are essential to maintaining existing progress and support for their growth. Mangata and Spire Before Them chose Scotland to base their satellite manufacturing and operations so that is clear evidence that our approach in Scotland is working and their ability to understand support and effectively engage in the international arena is further boosted by the formation of the Scottish International Space Advisory Committee which is a voluntary group co-chaired by Global Scots, Dr Anna Peters and Dr David Alexander bringing a wealth of expertise and connections across the globe that we want to use to tell the world about the space sector in Scotland. The sector is, as we have heard, facing skills challenges like many other sectors across the economy but it is important to recognise the value of the jobs that we do have because space is high value with GVA per employee estimated at £144,000 that is two and a half times the UK's average labour productivity and it has the power to inspire and excite like few others as well. It is an attractive destination for international workers with the right skill sets so we have to utilise that to build a strong pipeline of talents and inclusive sector that is accessible for everyone and these are issues that the sector is taking very seriously but we already have a thriving space ecosystem employing more than eight and a half thousand people and the recent publication on the UK space industry reaffirms Scotland is in a quote punching above its weight in terms of performance with almost one fifth of all UK space sector jobs being based here and it recognises strong growth in our company base and annual income. The sector has also seen very impressive growth of 12 per cent year on year and we expect that to continue so all that has been achieved and what we hope to achieve is only possible going forward with strong partnership between the industry academia and Government so that's why we do have space Scotland and also the Scottish space academic forum as well so industry academia and government working in partnership to achieve our collective ambition for Scotland to become a leading space nation through the provision of the full end to end value chain for small satellites is a very important part of our strategy. Presiding Officer just as I draw to a close I see him slightly over time in light of the the questions or interventions I took I just want to say that the combination of the full end to end provision for small satellites with sustainability is at core and the strong partnership between that partnership between industry academia and government will put the Scottish space sector in a genuinely world leading position Scotland was famously at the heart of the first industrial revolution as I said and now in this pivotal decade we are again shaping the future the future for space is one of Scotland's transformative and cutting edge sectors is really really exciting we've left the launch pad we're heading for the stars and new frontiers and I commend the sector for all it's achieving and I commend the motion department thank you thank you minister and before I call the next speaker I would advise that we do have some time in hand and uh and I now call on Jamie Halcro Johnston to speak to and to move amendment eight seven one three point two around eight minister thank you deputy presiding officer I welcome this debate and I'm delighted to open it for the Scottish Conservatives and I'm speaking in it with a number of different hats on today I'm my party's lead on business and there are real economic benefits for Scotland and for the space industry supply chain I speak as a Highlands and Islands MSP someone who represents a region which is already a key player in Scotland's space sector but one with so many new opportunities to explore and I'm also a co-convener that's sorry deputy co-convener of the Scottish Parliament's recently established cross-party group on space which we hope could play an important role in promoting awareness of the sector the opportunities it offers the challenges it faces and what we as parliamentarians can do to help it grow space has captured the imagination of humanity from the very earliest days from the sci-fi of the late 19th century and the start of the space race between the US and the USSR through the shuttle launches of the 80s for generations now humanity has sought to boldly go where no man and no woman has gone before but while the first journeys were by NASA and the Soviet Union space program countries across the world are now involved and there is an increasing part being played by the private sector as well and while space remains a place to explore and there's quite a fair bit left to explore it's also now a vital part of our planet's infrastructure with satellites orbiting the earth providing broadband and other telecommunications links and playing a huge part in our daily lives and with the global space economy projected to reach 490 billion by 2030 there is a new space race and the UK and Scotland are very much part of this the UK space sector is a growing industry and one which offers exciting opportunities for the future it's already worth billions of pounds every year to the UK economy and is estimated to employ nearly 50,000 people it supports at least 126,000 jobs in the UK across a wider supply chain and in 2021 alone its contribution to the UK economy grew by an extra one billion pound it created 1,800 new jobs and saw almost 300 new space organisations start up income is growing at a faster rate than the UK when compared with the global space industry and there's so much as the minister outlined happening here in Scotland too income from Scotland's space sector rose to 180 million in 2021 the number of space organisations increased to 183 the fourth largest boost across the whole of the UK and there were eight and a half thousand people working in the sector as the Scottish government motion mentions and the minister highlighted there has recently been investment from mangeeta networks in a hub at presswood airport in aesha and i'm sure my colleague charan dowey will speak more on that later and scotland is home to several spaceports including in shetland and in sutherland in my highlands and islands region and companies part of the space sector or working part of it as part of the growing supply chain a base right across the country aac collide space in glasgo have already delivered 13 satellites for launch with a further 21 in various states of production and glasgo alone produces more of these small satellites than anywhere else in europe the scottish national investment bank has invested nearly 20 million in the orbital launch services services company orbex based in forrest again within my region and orbex are developing the first orbital rocket powered by renewable biofuel and my colleagues douglas rossan graham since and this week visited skyroar in cumbinal to see for themselves the work that company is doing and their plans for this exciting sector and skyroar are just one of the organizations working with the saxavord uk spaceport in aunts again recently visited by douglas ross but also a site i visited a number of years ago and while i'll admit it was difficult at that time surrounded as we were by grazing sheep and not much else to imagine the site as a major launch facility i know how much progress has been made particularly at the lambness peninsula saxavord uk spaceport expect to create around 140 jobs and put nearly five million pounds every year into the local economy announced alone with further jobs and investment in other parts of shetland and i look forward to visiting the site again soon and seeing for myself the work being done and hopefully one of the 30 vertical launches they're looking for to support every year from the site yes of course i thank the member for giving way he makes the point about orbital launch polar orbital launch but a huge opportunity for scotland yet there's been industry concerns raised about the ca regulation regime being onerous and way too expensive and uncompetitive but he takes steps to address that with his uk government colleagues jimmy halker jonson thanks very much for the intervention and to the member i mean i think the key thing is this we all should be working together whether it's the scottish government whereas the uk government whereas the member of my party where there are challenges and there will be challenges that we work to address them because this is such an important sector that i think we'll have found today that we all agree on so if there are areas that we can play our part i think it's important that we do. Presiding officer if you'll excuse the pun it's not rocket science to see that this is an increasingly important sector one for which scotland and the uk are at the forefront and one which already provides high paid high skilled jobs but of course it is about rocket science because skills are a vital part of ensuring the sector has those highly qualified people it needs over a quarter of the current sector employees hold at least a primary degree higher than any other sector on the ons census and so it is vital that the scottish government ensures that the educational pathways are there for the sector that there are the subjects available at school that apprenticeships and university places are there and that they are accessible to scottish students because one of the issues raised with me by some employers is that places at scottish universities for degrees in areas where we have seen serious skills gaps are dominated by foreign or non-uk students we are using our world leading universities to train up the workforce of our economic rivals causing recruitment issues here in scotland so the scottish government needs to look at this and how we ensure our education system our schools and our colleges and our universities are fit for purpose to provide our businesses with the skills pipeline they need i know one of the things Doug Ross Ross said that impressed him most with skyrore was their engagement with local schools and ensuring that young people learned of the opportunities of this exciting new sector and that's key and we know that scotland needs to do more to provide the opportunities for young people to take stem subjects and to provide the encouragement them for to take them up and it shouldn't be hard to excite young people of the possibilities of the space sector to get them interested in the opportunities it offers and how they can be part of it but it's not just about skills the scottish government must ensure that the infrastructure is in place to support growth of our space sector that means delivering faster and reliable broadband to local communities particularly when it is the most remote island communities like uns which are often left behind it means ensuring that local road connections and of course local ferry links are fit for purpose and as in the case for communities across scotland ensuring that there is housing available to meet any increasing demands Presiding officer the scottish government launched their scottish space strategy in 2021 aimed at securing a share of the global market for scottish economy and while the s&p might be going through their own rapid unschedule to s'assembly at the moment i do share the ambitions of the scottish government that scotland should take advantage of the opportunities this new sector offers and ensure we're at the forefront of it and i welcome the UK government's commitment to support the space sector right across the UK including the £373,000 that is provided for space scotland to strengthen the scottish space ecosystem the scottish conservatives want to see scottins two governments working together to support the scottish space sector and to ensure that it has the investment and the business environment it needs to grow we recognize the huge potential it has for scotland and to be an industry which is successful right across our whole country i move the amendment in my name and we will be supporting all motions today thank you thank you mr halker johnson and i now call on daniel johnson to speak to and to move amendment 8713.1 thank you very much uh deputy presiding officer and can i begin by very much i think sharing the sentiment that we heard from the minister which is this is i think when we talk about the space industry i think for many people that will conjure up images of science fiction and things in the far future and certainly not necessarily things relevant to the to them but i think the reality is when you look at it actually space is already a significant part of scotland's economy and will if we make the right decisions be a significant part of its future economy and actually i was very much struck when i was looking the scottish direct investment web page with a a web clip outlining scotland's both strengths and advantages and not only was it a compelling thing to watch it had been filmed in my constituency from the royal observatory in Edinburgh which is one of the centres it's the centre for the UK astronomy technology centre which includes the Higgs centre and is one of the key components of the the the expertise that the the Richard Lochhead set out because while he's absolutely correct he said that glass does very much the centre for the manufacturing of vehicles Edinburgh is very much the centre for the data analytics which is the very much the other part of the crucial mix that we have in scotland but when you add in assets such as the future space ports both in the north and south of scotland plus things such as the satellite receiving station just outside Dundee in Errol what you quickly realise is that actually space is all around us but i think the other element of this is that scotland does have deep opportunities we have the expertise driven by our world class universities driven by research but but also in terms of the existing companies but finally i would say this and i think this is actually an important insight not just for space and i think there are a number of insights from this debate we don't just apply to the space sector but more broadly to new technologies and advanced manufacturing i think we need to start thinking about scotland not a separate clusters but as one cluster we are a small country and that gives us significant advantages because all of those assets both in the north and south of country from Glasgow Edinburgh Dundee are all very close in global terms and that gives us a huge strategic advantage to go with grow this thing and why i think we must all sit up and recognise that 8 000 jobs growing to potentially 20 000 jobs in 10 years time with potentially five times that 8 000 jobs thereafter is a significant opportunity scotland but also a critical one because as much as we look forward we must also look at our current industrial mix and the oil and gas sector employs over 200 000 people and a median wage of 45 000 pounds a year those jobs will not continue forever and i think what is imperative is that we look to future industries so that we can replace those high paid high value jobs so while we very much agree with the sentiments expressed in the motion from the government today what we would urge the government is that we cannot rest on our laurels this will require active intervention it will require significant planning and policy to seize that advantage in investment in infrastructure and location and in people in order to make good on that and that is why we have put forward the suggestions in our motion why i move the amendment in my name so moving through these the skills gaps i think are apparent right the way across the economy in scotland and despite i think the increasing discussion about that what the reality is is that we've seen a decline in the employees a number of employees receiving job related training over the last 15 years indeed in the most recent budget we saw a decrease in sds's budget of 10 million pounds over the previous year and indeed audits scotland have said that the scotland government has failed to provide the necessary leadership oversight in terms of skills planning so there's a lot riding on the skills review and i know that is forthcoming but i think what is clear is that if we're going to make good and we're going to build those 20 000 jobs we need the agile and responsive approach to skills which is i'll acknowledge set at an end set but in order to deliver that it requires detail i would go further i think what we need is approaches which enable partnership between industry and government both in terms of insight i think setting the content and delivery of those skills training but also i think in terms of leveraging private finance to deliver some of that deliver the funding that's what genuine partnership looks like that's what future skills approach for space and indeed other areas will require and what must come forward we also need flexibility the reality is is that a skills regime and approach over focused on just those at the start of the career isn't going to get this right the reality is we need to reskill people repurpose skills from industries of the past so that they're relevant for the industries of the future and we have plenty of engineers but we need more of them but we also need to redeploy engineering so those engineering skills are relevant to the skills that they need but we also need to look at our places and much has made of infrastructure but and words like that but i think we need to break down that language much as what of what high tech sectors need is actually quite simple they need space and not in terms of the space up there but industrial units and sheds if you look at actually the real appetite that has come from industry for the green ports it's not so much about the deregulation it's just simply the space to actually set up and run now i think we need to learn that lesson because it's what's needed for the space industry it's also what's needed for other high tech industries such as life sciences but i also see in terms of places it's also about housing i think Jamie Halcro johnson was absolutely right because unless those businesses can set up and run in places that are accessible to people that are able and willing to work in those businesses we won't get off to start now there's plenty of work to say but ultimately what we need is an industrial strategy to make good on our potential in terms of the space industry thank you very much deputies who are very presiding officer thank you mr johnson and i now call on beaterswish it thank you presiding officer and i welcome this debate on space sector opportunities and its potential for scotland scotland has the uk's fastest growing space sector and there's ambitions to grow a four billion pound space industry by 2030 and we're on our way with an income of 180 million in the 2020-21s from the sector a 30 percent income growth increase since since 2018-19 we punch above our weight with 18 percent as the motion highlights of all uk space roles in scotland double the share of the uk's population at nine percent more satellites are built in glasgo than anywhere else in europe and with data increasing emphasis in our lives as the minister has highlighted the opportunities are evident and SMEs vital to the wider business economy are making their mark in scotland's space industry on tuesday i saw this for myself and my constituency with the impact on the supply chain of the development of the saxophord spaceport home to the uk pathfinder programme backed by lockheed martin unst with a population of around 650 is the most northerly inhabited community in scotland indeed the uk the final frontier if you will saxophord at the northern tip of unst has been an important link in national infrastructure for decades it was a vital radar base operated by the raf in the second world war and then is a listening ear during the cold war and the ministry of defence continues its presence there today in 2017 entrepreneur frank strang and his business partner scott hamond gave a presentation to shetland islands council their vision of a spaceport in unst seemed light years away to those of us sitting in the council chamber that day but just as shetland did 50 years before with the oil industry we welcomed this new opportunity for shetland plc saxophord spaceport leads the way it will provide vertical launch and ground station facilities for a range of us european and british launch providers and satellites construction work began just over a year ago and there's one launch pad already completed the company now employs around 60 people with more to come and contributing millions to the economy on tuesday i was one of the guests at the joint event hosted by saxophord spaceport and german company high impulse technology to see engine testing for a small orbital launcher high impulse have been working in shetland on the development of their system and testing programme and this joint working should see their first sub orbital launch from saxophord spaceport later this year that will be a huge and significant landmark moment for high impulse for saxophord spaceport for shetland and for scotland unst will be the headline not the footnote in scotland's space sector and shetland's local supply chain is benefiting too with massive experience in supporting the oil and gas sector local firms are now turning their skills to support the space industry fabricating and engineering companies like ocean kinetics who built the main support frame for high impulse on which to test the rocket engine and lef who are building the launch rail for the sub orbital launch at saxophord shetland's geography is challenging and interisland transport could be improved with short tunnels but in space terms it's an asset as its location at the crossroads of the north sea and the atlantic makes it an ideal spot to launch small satellites into orbit this northerly point is looking to the stars for the next chapter in space development and technology and alongside community and educational collaboration with saxophord having already attracted a quarter of a million children to its online STEM lessons turning now to the opportunities that may lie in defence my mp colleague christine jarden in a recent session of the scotish affairs committee in westminster asked about the potential for defense in the high north and north atlantic that the space sector could provide in response there was a discussion about tracking ships and the protection of at sea infrastructure at the end of last year shetland experienced a serious telecoms outage from a damaged undersea cable media reports have also highlighted concerns about russian vessels performing cold war action off shetland so this is a great opportunity for scotland to be at the forefront of modern technology development for use at home and across our vast sea territories we can also help allies by being poised for such technologies and open to future developments as we embrace this new challenge and take up these opportunities scotland must embrace its share of responsibility too and help clean up space with the same zeal we have to transition to more sustainable living here on earth so to conclude presiding officer we can and should be ambitious about the contributions scotland can bring to the space sector we should allow this growing and exciting sector to help us reassess the current status quo and we should be ever forward thinking in what we can do and the responsibilities we have to future generations and the environments we reach scotland's space future is bright and buoyant may we go boldly thank you presiding officer thank you miss misshirt and we will now move to the open debate and i call ivan mckay to be followed by sanjish gohani mr mckay thank you presiding officer i'd first like to congratulate the minister richard lockhead for securing this debate he's also a better relationship with parliamentary business because it's something i failed to do over five years of working with the sector and the second thing is to recognise the the fact that this the concept of the scotland space sector has gained cross party participation and support it's great to see a learner slater's name on the motion because i know greens have had in the past some issues about the sector as a whole although i don't think there's any green members here today which is disappointing and also the conservatives adam tomkins famously put a tweet a few years ago ridiculing the very concept of scotland space sector is some kind of pine the sky dream so it's great to see the conservatives on board on board as well and i think it's been recognised as a work to be done to raise recognition of the public of what the scotland space sector is all about and how people can be involved in its success as it will move forward to over time no doubt become one of scotland's mainstay sectors need the national strategy for economic transformation did some work to analyse the numbers on our relative sizes all sectors and the contribution to the economy and the space sector absolutely has got the scope over coming years to replace some of the activity from sectors that are perhaps not going to be with us forever scotland of course this has been highlighted has some significant advantages our geography allows us to do the sun synchronous and polar orbits which is a huge advantage and the end-to-end capability we have from sally manufacturer rocket manufacturer launch capability data analytics and of course ground stations is something that's fairly unique certainly in europe and probably globally and something we obviously are focused on on building on the sector itself it was a real pleasure to work with them over that period hugely dynamic sector i'd like to pay tribute to heena and craig at space scotland malchum and the team in the the scotland space academic forum and of course the work of the scotland space advisory committee which was a tremendous initiative because it was a group of global scots self-organising into a sector-based group coming forward with really excellent proposals in giving scotland space sector true global reach into some very significant parts of the global sector and that's a model that i'm sure the minister will look to roll out across other sectors with the regards to the global scot network and i was delighted to engage with mangata three times during the journey of myself scotland enterprise and others to land that investment in scotland and delighted that that came for not only will they take satellite manufacture to the next scale building up to satellites up to a thousand kilos but also the work they're doing on the 5g network locally and beyond there's going to be real asset to scotland's broader connectivity ambitions. I look forward to the publication of the innovation strategy where space sector has a very strong position as one of our key horizontal enabler sectors and that will be again further cement the place of the sector. The point that was made by Paul Spina about regulations is important. Regulations legislation lies with UK government is reserved. The role of the CAA who are met on a number of occasions in this regard is important to make sure that we make progress there and that that pressure needs to be kept up on them. The sector wants to do that to make sure that they deliver on the end of the bargain and of course the points about sustainability have been well made. Scotland's focus is on space for good, it's on the sustainability aspects of the first country in the world as the minister highlighted to have a space sustainability road back something that's a lesson to other parts of the global sector in watching what we are doing here with interest in moving into new space and away from its traditional focus on defence and large satellites into something that has got a huge impact on our ability to be able to tackle the challenges of climate change and net zero as we move forward through this decade and into the next. I've spoken to the sector over the past few days to gauge what it would ask in terms of how we could work more closely with it, increasingly closely with it to take forward opportunities together to develop the sector. The concept of a national space mission is something that has been raised with me previously and it was good to see some more feedback on the shape of what that might look like. I'm going to highlight four areas that have been identified from the sector as being areas where I think there's more work to be done as we build the sector and as it moves into the next phase of its maturity and we secure Scotland's place of that £490 billion sector. The first is roundabout skills, something that we've already discussed from all the speakers so far, the importance of attracting skills into the sector using the attractiveness of the sector to drive the broader STEM agenda in schools across Scotland. It's great that some work is happening in some schools locally and that's to be commended, but I think that a programme working with the education colleagues and government to make that more of a significant part of our STEM education efforts would be very welcome. The second part roundabout skills agenda that we shouldn't forget is talent attraction, particularly from the rest of the UK. The work that I was taking forward with the RUK talent attraction industry group is hugely important space and aerospace work. I keep part of that and it was great to hear the cabinet secretary yesterday say that that work will continue. I would encourage the minister to make himself aware of that work if he's not leading on it and make sure that it continues to attract talent to the Scottish space sector and other sectors from the rest of the UK. The second roundabout international aspects and, frankly, what I call space diplomacy, Scotland leveraging its excellent position in the sector to best effect globally in raising Scotland's profile. A number of countries have engaged in that over a period of time at Luxembourg, Ireland, Switzerland and others. I would say that Malaysia is probably the stand-out example that I met with the Malaysian space delegation in Singapore in February and they are extremely keen to engage with Scotland on a number of levels and they have a very detailed plan to do that. I would encourage the minister to take that work forward with a visit from the Malaysian space delegation Scotland as quickly as is feasible. The third area that the sector asked for was roundabout infrastructure, engine and platform, test capability and integration capability. Facilities that can be shared across different businesses within the sector, including growth space as well as was highlighted by Daniel Johnson earlier, to allow the sector to build on the progress that it has made so far and to be able to make use of those facilities to further expand and encourage growth businesses. The fourth area that was roundabout is a bit more ambitious but, against something that the Government should have a look at, to co-design and launch satellites on the Government's behalf with the purpose of not only stimulating the sector and businesses, particularly on the downstream data side but also to highlight and make a statement about Scotland's seriousness in taking the sector forward and developing it, but also the data coming from that satellite or constellation to benefit Scotland's people and Scotland as a whole, particularly on our net zero agenda. There are many examples of that where space data be on. Heating buildings or other aspects of the net zero agenda could be extremely valuable. A number of pointers are, hopefully, the minister can consider and take those forward. I, as always, remain available to support with the growth of Scotland's space sector in whatever way I can. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Thank you, Ms McKee. I now call Sandesh Gohani, who is joining us remotely, to be followed by Audrey Nicholl. Dr Gohani. 54 years ago, Neil Armstrong uttered the immortal words, one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. And since the last manned lunar mission in 1972, human space exploration has largely focused on low earth orbit missions, communications and observation satellites and unmanned scientific exploration. But now, with space attracting high levels of private funding coupled with advances in technology and growing public sector interest, more and more countries are looking to the stars. Over the next 17 years, annual revenue generated by the global space industry is expected to hit a trillion pounds. The challenge for Scotland is to ensure it competes and collaborates in the global space economy to infinity and beyond. So how are we doing today? Well, Glasgow alone produces more small satellites than anywhere else in Europe. A key player is AAC Clyde Space, a UK Swedish adventure, which produces satellites for weather forecasting, precision farming and environmental monitoring, which we've heard before. Outwith Glasgow, the UK space agency is supporting the development of vertical and horizontal launch spaceports across Scotland, including Shetland, Sutherland, Argyll, Presswick and the Outer Hebrides. Preparation work is now underway on the first integration hangar in the Lamberness Peninsula, where rockets will be assembled and satellite payloads integrated. Shetland Sacks of Wards spaceport is part of the UK wide effort to gain a £4 billion share of the global space market over the next seven years. The site was completed in 2022 and will support up to 30 vertical launches a year from what is a former Royal Air Force site, in terms of jobs. Up to 200 people are engaged in each launch. Scotland's space sector generated an income of £180 million in 2021. Scotland now has over 180 space organisations, while our total space industry workforce numbers 8,500. Our fantastic universities also play a vital role in developing Scotland's space industry. At the University of Edinburgh, the £45 million base centre, backed by £30 million of UK government funding, is home to world-class data science and artificial intelligence that is required to support growth in the data side of the space industry. The University of Glasgow Space Glasgow focuses on cutting-edge research into spaceflight and exploration and has partnerships with industry and organisations like European Space Agency. While Strathclyde University's space cluster works with industry partners to support space research on the likes of satellites handling space debris, robotics and data analytics, the UK Space Agency is launching a £20 million fund to support international partnerships that will harness the UK's national strengths, support new space capabilities and catalyse investment. Up to £2 million will initially be available to help strengthen the SpaceX partnership with other space nations. Funding is available to industry academia research organisations to work with international partners on projects that could help, for example, bring new services to market or support cutting-edge research. Scotland truly has the potential to benefit from the global growth in space sector. But this will require a sharp focus on investment in our university's funding for research development and in turn will attract a highly skilled workforce to live and work in Scotland. The UK space sector is a growing and exciting industry that the UK government is fully committed to supporting and investing in, including in Scotland, where many opportunities are bound. Unleashing the possibilities of Scotland's space sector can only occur if Scotland remains within the UK where our resources can be pooled, knowledge shared and the UK government can provide significant investment into a range of exciting projects. Thank you Dr Gohani. I now call Audrey Nicoll to be followed by Carol Mocken. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Likewise, I very much welcome participating in this debate this afternoon and I'm very happy to support this motion. I'd like to thank the University of Edinburgh for their briefing and extend my thanks to Angela Mathes, CEO of Think Tank Maths, for her time engaging with me and her commitment to Scotland's place in the space sector. I'd also like to commend Space Scotland and the many other organisations and talented individuals working in Scotland's space sector. As I prepared for today, I reflected on a presentation that I attended where Professor Maggie Adrian Pocock, who is a well-known space scientist in the UK, described how her career into space was inspired by the Clangars, a children's TV show in the 70s, which I remember many members here today won't, but it was about a family of creatures living in peace and harmony on a planet. I'll return to the importance of encouraging talent into our space sector later. It's remarkable to think that this is the first space debate held in the Scottish Parliament since the session began, and I'm sure it's certainly courtesy of our colleague Ivan McKee, quietly laying the foundations for us to reach this point. Yet, space is utterly fundamental to our modern-day existence and the future of our planet. As Professor Brian Pocock said, the best way to protect the earth is to look down from space. As the motion outlines, the Scottish space sector is an exciting area of growth, accounting for about 18 per cent of all jobs in the UK space sector, which is significant, given that Scotland is home to around 10 per cent of the UK population. We are punching above our weight. We have well over 100 companies, from start-ups to SMEs and larger companies, involved not only in manufacturing but also in space applications that benefit other sectors and areas of the economy. Of course, that work is underpinned by the Scottish Space Strategy, which sets out our collective ambition for Scotland to become a world-leading European space nation. The strategy aligns into the UK space strategy, but it also outlines areas in which Scotland has an advantage. For example, the development of spaceports and vertical launch projects, which we have already heard about, where our geography and location places at us at some advantage. An important aspect of our growing space sector, as we have already heard, is sustainability. The space sustainability roadmap sets out three areas, making manufacturing and launch as sustainable as possible, tackling space debris and how to use space data to benefit planet earth. The north-east currently hosts around 11 companies supporting the sector. One company in my constituency provides high-accuracy global navigation satellite system services. I note the just transition of Scotland's energy sector review highlights potential employment opportunities for certain oil and gas roles, which is welcome. However, the relationship between the energy and space sectors is not new. Today, space has a key role in monitoring gas emissions and its climate impact, with around half of all essential climate variables that help us to understand and predict the evolution of climate being measured by satellite. While the space sector continues to underpin data collection about planet earth, space itself remains a domain where we do not know everything yet. We do not understand all the dynamics. We do not fully know how things move. Therefore, we have to move with cautious steps while holding on to our dream. We look into space and see something clean and untouched. However, the orbital paths around our planet already contain a lot of debris and junk. When satellites come to the end of their lives, they can break up into small pieces and collide with other satellites. As such, in growing our space sector, we also have a duty to keep space clean, safe and accessible to future generations. I would ask the Scottish Government to outline what it intends to do to ensure that Scotland plays its part in keeping space clean. Underpinning our space sector, as we have heard, is talent. I note that the Labour amendment sets out the need to ensure that employers have access to the skills and expertise that are required to ensure the longevity of the space sector in Scotland, with a focus on the delivery of STEM subjects in school. That is an area that I am particularly interested in. I agree that it is absolutely critical that STEM learning, and in particular mathematics, is supported at the earliest point in our tertiary education system in Scotland. I commend the work of Scottish Development International and others to grow our space talent and welcome workers from Europe and beyond to create a workforce that is rich in skills, experience and, importantly, languages. However, my research for this debate revealed some concern among some working in the sector that the UK is not seen as a welcoming place and that it can be challenging to recruit into Scotland. We run the risk of companies being unable to secure contracts and, ultimately, moving to Europe. I therefore ask the minister to do all that he can to ensure that those contemplating coming to Scotland to work in our space sector know that Scotland is a welcoming place to live and work. I welcome today's debate, highlighting this growing and exciting sector, and I look forward to playing my part in helping it to reach its full potential. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Like many others, as we have heard today, I am very enthused about the possibilities that are available to us through increased investment in the space industry. I would like to join colleagues in encouraging even further investment across Scotland to push our economy forward and bring much-needed jobs to our country. Those are the kinds of technical, varied and skilled and well-paid jobs that we need to see more of. It is heartening to come here to discuss job creation rather than yet more people suffering the threat of job loss or of precarious and unreliable work. In order to be ready for this growing industry, however, we have to increase the number of young people studying STEM as Audrey Nicol raised in the previous speech. STEM subjects at school are really important and the ability to carry them forward all the way into relevant degrees and qualifications. That is about how we structure education and that link to understanding all the learning styles and the learning options should be available to young people and people throughout their lives. Indeed, I have met fantastic apprentices at flourishing businesses such as Spirit Aerospace Systems in Prestwick, who are training young people in intricate and technical jobs that can sustain them for life. It is a very supported learning in a workspace environment. It really did come across as an excellent way for those people to learn. There has to be co-operation between schools, universities, businesses and government, as we have heard, to achieve this over the long term for generations to come. I am glad that there seems to be a real mindset present from the minister today to make sure that is what we seek to happen. In particular, I would like to see a much higher proportion of young women studying those subjects, which continue to be dominated by men. We know that. When I spoke to the young apprentices, they spoke about how hard it was to make that decision to go into that field. It is not just about developing relevant skills among the young women, but about retaining women in those professions as they advance through their careers, because that definitely is something that we need to work on. For too many young women, they just do not see engineering and this sort of development as the environment that they can continue to go in throughout their life. It feels a bit closed to them, and that definitely needs to change. The proposed Mangata Networks development will be a great benefit for Prestwick and the surrounding area in my region of the south of Scotland, and other members have spoken about that development. Fears there about the long-term sustainability of the airport have been growing for some time, and that provides great news for an area with a long and very proud history within the aviation and astronautical industries. It is a wonderful development for the community, as a whole. The community is full of people who have worked in that kind of industry, and I am sure that the spaceport and the industries that pop up around it will be firmly welcomed by everybody in the south of Scotland region. Increased investment at this will also be a fantastic benefit to our world-leading university sector, who are training the scientists, the data analysis, the engineers of the future right on the doorstep of the proposed plans for the space industry and, indeed, at pioneering institutes right across Scotland, as we have heard from other members in the regions. This really is an opportunity for us to be on the cutting edge, and it is, as others have said, very exciting. For most, however, I see this as a brilliant opportunity to bring well-paid, highly skilled jobs with proper trade union representation to the area, and a wonderful chance for future generations to get in on the ground floor and an exciting development like the spaceport and all its surrounding industries. However, I must stress that the importance of those being good trade union jobs is so important. Union representation leads to the long-term sustainability of industry across Scotland, and it does not detract from it. Workers who feel represented stay in their jobs and drive innovation. Workers who feel short-changed and undervalued go elsewhere, so it is absolutely important that we make sure that those jobs are from an industry that welcomes that role of the trade union movement. I will, of course, in my own region, be making this point very clearly to the businesses and investors in the space industry, and ensuring that the Government sticks to its promises in this regard about work and the importance of representation. In closing, I join with my Scottish Labour colleagues and all the members across the chamber in celebrating the investment opportunity in the space sector and encouraging others to look at Scotland. In particular, my region of the south of Scotland is a place where the space sector can make advancements and flourish and can be a really excellent place for people to work and for communities to be involved in that process. I am boldly going where Christine MacDonald has not gone before. What do I know about space and satellites beyond Star Trek? I may surprise you and even myself. It all started when Derek Harris got in touch with me as he lived in Penicook, in my constituency, and he introduced me to Skyrora, which has been mentioned before, and Black Arrow. Black Arrow was the UK's only rocket to successfully launch a satellite into orbit, but had lain at its crash landing site in the South Australian Outback for 48 years prior to Skyrora stepping in to preserve it and returning it to Scotland. I sponsored it coming to Parliament outside, of course, and it represents an important piece of heritage in the space sector, which continues to thrive today, as many have said, in Scotland, serves as an inspiration to the next generation of space scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs. Since being established in 2017, Skyrora has invested approximately 50 million in developing technology, infrastructure and creating a skilled workforce of now 70 people, based in a manufacturing assembly facility in Cumberrauld. Outside investment over this time includes a grant from the UK Space Agency for £2.5 million, which is currently being extended both in time delivery period and in scope, and a recently confirmed horizon 2020 grant for advanced manufacturing 3D printing, €500,000 over four years, and a national manufacturing programme supporting the licensing of Skyrora's 3D printer, which I have seen. According to Skyrora, there has been no further funding from any institutions, including Scottish Enterprise, Scottish National Investment Bank, despite extensive engagement, so I leave that for the minister to consider. I am advised by the company that the key challenges there are as follows, not unexpectedly funding, a UK regulatory regime that is not competitive, even unfit for purpose, an issue referred to by other contributors and I will return to that, a lack of a clear co-ordinated approach by all levels of government from understanding why launch is required and a road map or plan clearly articulated steps to make launch happen. There was strong initial engagement across the space industry, academia and government, however, more recently, this co-ordination and collective drive, according to Skyrora, has somewhat fallen back to individual companies in quotes, private aspirations close quotes, as opposed to continuing to garner support and push collaboration. Back to licensing. In spring 2022, Skyrora submitted its application to the UK Civil Aviation Authority for their launch licence. After extensive engagement, including a 23-month process from February 2019, to help to establish the safety case process approach to evaluation, April 2023 now, Skyrora is still waiting for qualitative feedback from CAA and its submission, and indeed any indication of when it might receive a launch licence. In the meantime, to pursue its requirement for undertaking launch, Skyrora has assisted the Icelandic authorities to establish a permit process over the course of 2021-22, and in October 2022, Skyrora launched the suborbital test vehicle Skylark L in Iceland. Within the context of Scotland, Skyrora sought to suggest that SEPA might be able to take a lead on managing and enabling the regulatory process of procuring a licence in a similar way as SEPA took the lead on decommissioning oil and gas infrastructure. For the future, Skyrora's ambition is to realise over 2.1 billion income to the Scottish economy by 2030. 428 full-time equivalent manufacturing jobs with salaries, they hope, 26 per cent above the Scottish average, which deals with the issues raised by Carol Mocken. Research and development of over 5 million every year, five times the Scottish average, and by 2030, over 300 internships, 30 apprenticeships, sponsor skills programmes in welding, 3D printing, advanced manufacturing and so on, and taking use of Scotland's national engine test centre in Gorebridge in my constituency. Turning now to the second company, Thistle Rocketry, located in Tweedbank in my constituency, it received a Scottish Edge award of 100,000 supporting this early stage business. It's a space launch start-up currently developing scalable rocket systems for cube satellites. The award is made up of a 30,000 grant and a 70,000 soft loan. At the moment, Thistle Rocketry is at the climax of a six-month project. On only a 50,000 budget, they've designed and built an eight-kilonewton suborbital rocket engine. Please don't intervene for a technical explanation. With the goal of advancing their proprietary propellant pump and their lighting the engine for the first test fire tomorrow, weather permitting, testing will continue for another few days with the engine development and the advancement of their IP, both representing major milestones for the company. With the completion of this test project, they will be formally commencing their seed raise planned for this year. The tale of two space satellite companies that I know quite well, one far more advanced than the other, but both, I hope, and I'll end where I started, businesses that will live long and prosper. Colin Beattie will be the final speaker in the open debate, after which we'll move to closing speeches and all those who have participated will need to be in the chamber. Mr Beattie, a generous six minutes. I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate today on opportunities for the space sector in Scotland. It still surprises me how many people are unaware of the opportunities that the space sector has here in Scotland. Even their own Scottish space strategy states that the space sector has been one of Scotland's best kept secrets. As some may be aware, a recently launched across party group on space to give us MSPs and those operating in the industry in Scotland a chance to come together to raise awareness of the importance of the space sector to both the Scottish and wider UK economy, promote the sector's growing benefits arising from the Scottish investment in the space sector, including its pivotal role as a force for good in the global challenge to address climate change and, overall, encourage and strengthen Scotland's position in the wider space industry overall. I may mention that in order to establish this CPG, I appeared in front of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee to justify its formation. The convener of the committee referred to my childlike enthusiasm regarding the space sector. He was, of course, absolutely correct. Of course it's exciting, although it's still in its early days, and I will seek to nurture and continue my enthusiasm in this field. I'm pleased that the CPG has continued to gain interests from my colleagues across the chamber, combined, of course, with the support that it's received from organisations here in Scotland. If anybody in this chamber has room for another CPG in their schedule, let it be this one. The space sector here in Scotland is expanding faster than anywhere else in the UK, with the sector reportedly to grow in value to £4 billion by 2030. That equates to around 20,000 jobs in the sector by that year. Scotland's planted its flag in the space industry map, and as we've heard already in the chamber today, Scotland now builds more small satellites than anywhere else outside California. We have all the right components here in Scotland for this sector to flourish, while enhancing Scotland's economic development and meet our net zero ambitions. It's therefore only right that the sector has been identified as a key economic opportunity through the national strategy for economic transformation and that we should take full advantage of the opportunities that Scotland and the space sector have to offer. I can confidently say the demand that is there for the sector, and I'm sure that my colleagues across the chamber will agree that Scotland is currently home to more than 130 companies operating within the space sector, together with more than 170 data science companies. We've heard about Saxovoord, Space Port in Shetland, Space Hub in Sutherland and the major investment by Mangata Networks in building its new hub in Scotland, which will support up to 575 highly skilled jobs. I would like to, however, give a special mention to one of those companies operating in my constituency just to highlight their work in this sector. Once again, I'll mention Skyrora, which has gained recognition locally and nationally for space sustainability and innovation. Sustainability is a key area of the space sector, and it's commendable to see Skyrora driving the way forward with her flagship orbital rocket Skylar L that is designed to use a fuel mix that produces 45 per cent less CO2 emissions than most other launches. The Scottish space sector shares this collective responsibility to tackle the current climate emergency, and as Skyrora has demonstrated, it is already innovating through the use of greener fuels, lightweight materials, smart design and reusability. I should say that it comes as no surprise that Scotland is leading the way in such an innovative sector. Our history lends itself to great scientists and inventors, and it's vital that we continue to encourage innovation, especially in our young people. Currently, Scotland is home to 18 per cent of all space sector jobs, which is roughly just over 8,400. If we are to reach a figure of 20,000 jobs by 2030, we need to engage with young people in those roles and find ways to upskill our existing workforce. Deep tech is lacking in Scotland, and yet the continued success of the sector in Scotland depends on its workforce. The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow runs a week-long Scottish space school, open to all S5 pupils studying in Scottish secondary schools. That allows pupils to learn from some of the world's leading figures in space travel, including NASA astronauts and engineers. That programme has been a huge success in previous years, with many pupils going on to study engineering at Strathclyde. I would like to see more outreach work from the sector and our universities in our primary and secondary schools. Education has the power to inspire the next generation of space industry workers. The debate today focuses on the opportunities for the space sector in Scotland, but we must not dismiss the challenges that come alongside the sector. Like so many sectors, it is no easy feat finding the right people, with the right skills, with hiring conditions becoming tougher. Scotland's doors have always been and remain open to the world, yet the UK Government consistently tries to close those doors, which has depleted our recruitment pool here in Scotland. ADS, the industry trade association for the sector, has called for the creation of a transferable skills catalogue to enable a larger overseas worker recruitment pool and allow businesses to upskill and address workforce shortages far quicker. By allowing greater flexibility, that would allow workers with a good foundation of transferable skills to apply for roles listed on the shortage occupation list. That list is only updated every 12 months. Perhaps by updating the list more frequently every six months, we have helped to address labour market shortages in a more effective way. We know that labour markets and industries are continually changing, and with our drive to meet our net zero ambitions, our demand for different skills is required, and it is only fair that we keep in step with those changes. Of course, here in Scotland we have no remit to make these required changes, and I would ask that the Scottish Government and industry in general continue to put pressure on the UK Government to make the changes that are required to make this sector a huge success. It is imperative that a solution is sought to minimise the risk of hampering Scotland's scientific and economic progress. This is a sector in which we are thriving, a reference that the sector has been one of Scotland's best-kept secrets. Let's now celebrate the industry and the long-term prosperity that it offers to Scotland, our people and beyond. Thank you very much, Mr Beattie. We now move to closing speeches, and I call on Paul Sweeney for around six minutes, Mr Sweeney. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to engage in this debate and close on behalf of Labour on what has been a vital discussion in debate about one of Scotland's most successful and vibrant sectors. Like the member for Midlodine South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, I had the pleasure of visiting Skyrora in Edinburgh and in Lonehead in 2019, during my time as an MP and the Shadow Undersecretary of State for Scotland. I am thrilled that they are still thriving, with more than 60 headquarters staff and more than 100 research and development staff in now-centred in Cumbernauld. It is exciting to see the scale and potential of the space sector in Scotland from Skyrora, as was being discussed this afternoon at Alba Orbital in my constituency of Glasgow, to Sacks of Ords, Spaceport and Unst, Shetland, to name three of many operators and players in the sector, and the industry is innovating nationwide. I would like to commend the minister for bringing this motion forward in Government time for debate and to fellow members across the chamber for engaging contributions. I trust that we will all continue to carry forward our passion and hard work on behalf of the space sector in our own ways, but it is clear that we are all anxious to ensure that we do not deny or potentially miss opportunities for it to be successful in Scotland. We must work intensively and rigorously and urgently to ensure that we achieve our best possible potential in this globally competitive sector. I will say that my colleague the member for Edinburgh, Southern, has hit nail on the head with the Labour amendment this afternoon. It is key for the space sector and beyond that the Scottish Government grasps the bull by the horns and engages much more intensively and rigorously and formally with industry to ensure that the sustainability of advanced manufacturing jobs in Scotland is secured. The two most critical aspects of that are skills, as was mentioned extensively this afternoon, particularly in those who are at the start and middles of their careers, and infrastructure to ensure that jobs and work programmes can be supported in Scotland. Those of us who meet regularly with industry, including the member for Midlodine North and Musselbra, who set up the cross-party group on space, recognise that industry is desperate to make long-lasting impacts in Scotland, but we know that there are enormous interests in creating jobs and establishing long-time work programmes here. It tells us that it needs workers and training to ensure that our schools, colleges and universities already can provide those excellent outputs and provide them with that critical labour force that is appropriately qualified. It also says that it needs the Scottish Government to help in securing the facilities to do their work well, and I see parallels in the advanced manufacturer needing the right facilities to do what they do best, particularly in the shipbuilding and maritime sector, which tells MSPs time and time again through its cross-party group that if Scotland would invest in shipyard infrastructure to build ships, companies would bend over backwards to make those vessels in this country. I see a similar issue with the space sector, too. I hope that the minister hears me when I say that those industry leaders have been loud and clear with us in the cross-party groups if we build it, they will come, but they need the Government to respond in a mission-focused way, and that means that the Government adopting risk where necessary to ensure that companies can crowd in wealth and take root here in Scotland. I am pleased that the minister has high ambition for the sector with the aim to grow the workforce in the space sector by 26 per cent year on year and the stronger commitment to grow the sector by 2030. I will be looking carefully to see if the Government cuts to the education budgets, as well as a proposed cut to Skills Development Scotland of £10 million will hamper those efforts, however. I fear that it will do exactly that. Only this week, I received contact from constituents of mine stating their concern that their children cannot take advanced higher mass chemistry and physics in Glasgow schools because the council has cut the advanced higher hub at Glasgow Caledonian University and their own schools do not provide those courses. That basically means that children at secondary schools in Glasgow cannot access engineering undergraduate qualifications at Strathclyde or Glasgow universities, and I think that that is shameful and needs to be urgently addressed. More can be done to protect the Scottish Government's ambitions, but the development of the space industry here and in the rest of the UK, as well. Despite the challenges of assets such as the National Manufacturing Institute, we can utilise those to be powerhouses of innovation and advancement. That is why Labour is passionately advocating for the Scottish Government to celebrate those organisations wholeheartedly and to work closely with industry and the UK Government to ensure the best environment possible for the industry to continue to thrive. It was mentioned by the member for Midlodine South about additive manufacturing at Skyrora and a call during my visit. They were saying that that is exactly the sort of thing that could be built and integrated at the National Manufacturing Institute, where all companies in the sector could buy in time on that and utilise it. It is a particular specialised form of advanced manufacturing that not all SMEs could finance alone, but they could do it in a collaborative fashion. I also beg the minister to do all his power to prevent that branch plant effect, as was discussed in the opening speech, ensuring that our innovative space sector is retained with wealth controlled in Scotland and not simply sapped out of the country by global corporations in a branch plant format. I worked for Clyde Space in a previous career at Scottish Enterprise and I have to say that I was saddened in 2019 when the Swedish company AC Microtech bought them over. Both companies Clyde Space and AC Microtech were founded the same year 2005. Why was it that the Swedish company acquired the Scottish company and not vice versa? I think that whilst they are doing great work, we need to understand why that was the case. It should be the Scottish companies acquiring overseas businesses, not the other way around. We need to see more of that happening. Scottish headquarters companies are going to be key in the future and we cannot allow them to go into overseas control. Many members have mentioned that. I could refer to numerous members' comments on that, particularly around the regulatory issue as well, which was brought up. We have to ensure that the CIE adopts the reforms to ensure that the sector is able to achieve first to market launch into the polar orbits. If we are not careful, Iceland and other northern European countries will still march on us. It is absolutely critical. I was particularly taken by the member for Glasgow province's comments on the need for a national space mission. That is critical. It will require the state to adopt risk, where previously, traditionally, the Scottish Government of multiple administrations has taken a risk averse approach to that. We need to look at that idea of talent acquisition skills. It was mentioned by the member for Aberdeen South and North Concardin, that idea of talent acquisition. We need to look at international engagement, driving export markets, but we also need to look at critical infrastructure, shared facilities such as the Enmys in Inchinnon, which is mentioned by my colleague from South Scotland, Ms Malkin, at the Presswick airport. There is a huge potential there with the clustering effects with spirit aerostructures. We also need to look at opportunities to drive net zero structures using the heat from data centres to drive district heat networks. There are huge adjacencies and opportunities for clustering, and we need to seize all the opportunities that are working rigorously across the sector. Once again, I thank the minister for bringing forward the opportunity to debate the vital sector for Scotland, and I hope that members across the chamber will support the amendment proposed by my Labour colleague, Edward Southern. Mr Sweeney, I now call on Sharon Dowey for around seven minutes, Ms Dowey. Thank you, Presiding Officer. As has been mentioned in other contributions from other members, Scotland's space sector continues to grow and contributes significantly to our economy. The space industry is a rapidly growing field, and Scotland has the potential to be at the forefront of the exciting sector. The war in Ukraine is affecting satellite launch capability around the world, and there is a renewed need for developing this technology here at home and fully harnessing this expanding portion of the market. Scotland is home to over 140 space organisations, including significant players such as Spire, AAC, Clyde Space and the Universities of Strathclyde, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The industry generates around £5.6 billion in turnover and provides 22,000 jobs and 910 apprenticeships across the country, with an added value to the Scottish economy of £2.3 billion. That is why the recent partnership between spirit aerosystems and Australia is limited to improve future satellite launch capabilities from Presswick spaceport. That is fantastic news not only for Ayrshire, but for Scotland and the United Kingdom. That collaboration is part of the UK's plan to secure a larger share of the global space economy, which is expected to be worth £490 billion by 2030, which was said by Richard Lochhead earlier on. The Presswick spaceport aims to become Europe's premier location for launching small satellites into orbit via air launch. The collaboration between spirit and Australia will speed up the development of system components and key processes for the Australia's horizontal launch platform. It has the potential to drive growth across science and engineering supply chains, create new jobs and career paths and inspire the next generation of space professionals across the UK. The recent announcement by Mangata Networks, which plans to establish a new space engineering manufacturing and operations hub in Presswick as part of the Ayrshire growth deal, demonstrates Scotland's welcoming environment for investors and will create up to 575 new jobs over the coming years, making the Presswick airport hub a significant economic driver for Ayrshire. We must make sure that Scotland has an attractive economy to best capitalise on this booming industry. Scotland's geographic location and robust aerospace manufacturing sector make it an ideal location for polar rocket and satellite launches. However, the availability of talent is crucial to Scotland's space industry success, and that has been mentioned by a few members in their contributions. The same engineering pool is stretched across a variety of engineering sectors, including aerospace and military, meaning that employers are in stiff competition with each other. As one industry expert told me, the success of Scotland's space sector is predicated on one thing—people. Whether research and development, supply chain opportunities, whatever, it is all built upon our supply of skills. As the space sector has fantastic growth, so too do other engineering sectors such as aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing and so on. They all draw from the same engineering talent pool, and that pool is already running close to dry. As the demand for skilled workers continues to rise, it is increasingly important for Governments, industry and educational institutions to collaborate to adapt and improve training programmes. That co-ordinated thinking will enable us to identify the skills and knowledge that are most in demand and ensure that training programmes are designed to meet those needs. The member is making an important point about the need for greater collaboration to drive that critical mass into the sector in all parts of the engineering in Scotland. Does she agree that the current landscape is way too cluttered and there is way too much confusion about what is out there? We need to really get it rationalised into maybe a focused approach through something like Scottish Enterprise to try to make everything join up a bit better. I absolutely agree with everything that the member has just said. We need to have a less cluttered environment and it needs to be a lot clearer so that a lot of the businesses that we have know where to go for help so that they can get the skillset of employees that they need and they need to be able to highlight that to Government as well and to educational institutions so that we know what courses we are needing. Having visited Ayrshire College, I know that there is already a lot of work under way between them and the local industry to provide pathway courses for young people to give them the skills to enter the sector. As we attract more investment in highly skilled workers, we also need to have the support of both our Governments to ensure that adequate funding is delivered to ensure that the building blocks that we put in place now are fit for purpose in the future. We cannot underestimate the costs of acquiring land and erecting buildings for this work to take place and it does not stop there. If we are going to entice the brightest and the best, they need a home to live in, roads to drive on, which means that we must invest in the local infrastructure. To conclude, Scotland has many opportunities in the space industry, but we need to lay the groundwork today to ensure success tomorrow and in the future. Thank you very much. I now call Richard Lockhead to wind up the debate minister around about nine minutes. I first want to say that I am grateful to all the members for their really good contributions today during the debate. It has been great to see unity and the Parliament getting behind a growing key Scottish sector. I am sure that I will be welcomed by all the companies and people working in the space industry in Scotland. It is certainly a sector that has captured the imagination and attention of colleagues from across all the parties. I will touch upon a few of the contributions or at least the themes that are raised by members if I can over the next few minutes. I was particularly interested in Sandish Galhany's contribution from the space station. It appeared to be, given that he was dialed down remotely, but given his backdrop, it looked as if he was genuinely in space somewhere. I did agree with most of what he said in his speech, and I thought he made some good points until he got to the end. Somehow he said that the space industry was a reason for remaining within the union, and I realised that there was definitely a different planet for the rest of us in terms of his contribution. There were many other helpful contributions and important themes raised in the debate. As someone who has been in Parliament since 1999, and there are a few colleagues in the chamber who have been here since then, if he had said to us back in 1999 that he would be having debates in the Scottish Parliament and Scotland's growing space industry, I am not quite sure what he would have believed you. As the MSP for Murray since 2006, if he had said to me that I was going to have a rocket company based in the forest in Murray, I would have thought that you would have been having too many of the local dramas, because I would not have believed that that would have happened either. The fact that we are debating the space industry in Parliament and that these amazing companies are setting up the length and breadth of Scotland shows how quickly the sector is advancing and the agenda is changing and how well Scotland is placed in terms of developing a vibrant space sector and making a huge contribution to the economy. I just want to say that the Government will be accepting both amendments in terms of Jamie Halcro Johnston's. Of course, we very much welcome UK Government's research funding and other funding towards the space sector in Scotland. It is very important that research funding is reserved to the UK Government, and it is important that we have our fair share. Likewise, the regulation of space and the issues around that are also reserved to the UK Government. I just want to say to all members that I will be doing my utmost to have a constructive relationship with both the regulators and Mr Stephen Hillier, the chair of the CCA, in due course. I have always been in touch seeking a meeting with me to discuss regulation and all those issues, as well as my counterpart in the UK Government, to ensure that, working together, we can continue to promote Scotland's space sector. In terms of the Labour Party's amendment, again, a number of issues raised there. We absolutely agree with the importance of STEM subjects, attracting people with right skills and supporting development skills in the Scottish economy, into the sector is really important. The role of building effective clusters across the country, which is already happening. Of course, the role of the National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland and Advanced Manufacturing and working in tandem with the space sector going forward. All very important themes, and therefore we will be supporting amendments today. I did ask my officials to put together a little map of space activity across Scotland, and they did provide that for me very helpfully. It does reinforce the issues that many members were raising when they spoke about companies in the space sector, in their own constituencies, but in different parts of Scotland. I cannot go through all parts of Scotland to have space activity, but this map has got Shetland, the Western Isles, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Argyllun Bute, West Lothian, Murray of course, Tayside, Aberdeen, south of Edinburgh and Edinburgh and so on. Of course, Beatrice Wishartx and Christine Graham, Colin Beatton and others mentioned companies in their own constituencies. This is very much a national industry now in Scotland, the space industry. Alongside other innovative and high-growth sectors such as quantum technologies, photonics, robotics and autonomous systems, Scotland's space sector is one of the world's best-kept secrets. I hope that all of us together can endeavour to ensure that that no longer remains that way and we bring the space industry and these other key sectors out of the shadows. That was a point that was made by Colin Beatton and others as well. It is absolutely staggering what is going on in the Scottish economy at the moment. We have a tendency in this chamber to dwell on the negative and the downsides and the big challenges. Understandably, we have to discuss the big challenges. There are an enormous number of success stories in the Scottish economy. When I speak about quantum, photonics, robotics and space, that is just a few of the examples of sectors that are high value, that are growing, that are creating jobs and giving Scotland international leadership. I think that we should be proud of that and we should celebrate that more often in this chamber and let the people of Scotland know about it. I want to turn to my colleague Ivan McKee, because Ivan made an excellent contribution. Firstly, I would like to say to Ivan McKee and John Swinney, who is sitting in the chamber, thank you very much for playing their really significant roles in getting the space sector to where it is today in Scotland. Ivan, in particular, oversaw the strategy and the sustainable road map, and he mentioned some of the trade missions that he has been on to secure those vital inward investments and build those relationships. Ivan McKee largely deserves a huge number of credit. Speaking to people in the space sector, they always mention how much support they got from Ivan McKee. All I can do is stand here and say that I am going to do my best to fall on Ivan's footsteps and make sure that we deliver on-going support of that nature to the sector. He did get me slightly concerned when he said that I should support a national space mission. As I am the trade minister now, I thought he meant that I was to lead a mission to outer space. However, I realised when I was listening to him he was speaking about a different definition of mission, and I do agree with some of the points that he was making in his speech in terms of supporting that international reputation building and some other issues that he mentioned when he was speaking. I certainly want to make sure that we take those forward. One issue that he mentioned was encouraging the Scottish Government and public sector organisations in Scotland to become anchor customers of the space sector. That is an important point, and that was raised with me by the space companies that I was speaking to. They would like to see the Scottish Government and the public sector in Scotland working in close partnership, so we give them business, and we recruit the space sector, the satellite companies and the data science companies to help to solve some Scotland's problems, which I think is a really important theme that we should absolutely pursue. I am pleased that that has begun, and I should say that Space Intelligence, one of the companies in partnership with Scotland's Nature Agency and NatureScot, has produced already a groundbreaking new mapping system for Scotland, which is the country's first-ever nationwide high-resolution habitat maps to provide insight into how Scotland's natural capital is changing over time. That's got a range of values for land owners, land managers, farmers and environmentalists and so on. We are beginning that, and I think that there's a long way to go to make sure that we can make the most of the excellence on our own doorstep. Audre Nicolle and others mentioned the importance of having a clean sector, because people do have an image of sending thousands of satellites into space, and that creates debris, potentially other environmental issues, and that's why we should be so proud of the fact that Scotland again is leading the world in space sustainability, and again speaking to some of the companies in Scotland, I was learning that all the techniques that are adopting to ensure that leadership. Of course, the rocket company Orbex, in my constituency, uses a clean fuel to put the rockets up, and that took me by surprise, to be honest, that they've developed that technology, but it just shows you the advances that we're making in science and technology in Scotland, and the leadership of the space sector is showing in terms of saying to the rest of the world that this can be done in a sustainable way, and it's great to see that other countries are now learning from Scotland as well. I'm running out of time, so I should just pick up on skills, because again, Carol Mawkin, Daniel Johnson and others mentioned they need to ensure that we do have skills. We do have some challenges, and this is an issue in the sectors as well. In some ways, it's a good challenge to have, because Scotland is so popular for inward investment, we have companies about to employ hundreds of more people in this country, and therefore we have to ensure that people are available. It's a great sign that companies from around the world want to invest in Scotland, and of course we're seeing that with Mangata Presswick, with over 500 new jobs about to be created, 740 jobs in the Highlands and Islands, which reminds us that this is a national industry, it's not just the central belt, it's all around Scotland as well. That's great news, all those jobs are going to be created, but of course we have to work with the skills system, it's being reviewed just now, we have to work with our universities and colleges and make sure that those skills are available in the times ahead. But Scotland's already got an amazing reputation for so many industries, whisky, renewable energy, oil and gas, I could go on and on and on, and I hope that if we come back to this chamber in a year or two or in five years or whenever, again to be at the space sector, it will have the same recognition as those globally renowned industries, I've just mentioned, already have around the world. Space has got such a hero to play in supporting Scotland's economy, tackling climate change, both domestically and globally, and making so many other contributions to humankind and the future of our planet. We are already punching way above our weight globally, and given the rapidly growing global space industry, now is the time, now is the time for us to step up and seize the opportunity to make Scotland Europe's leading space nation, I commend the motion to Parliament. Thank you very much. Minister, that concludes the debate on opportunities for the space sector in Scotland. At this point I am minded to take a motion without notice under rule 11.2.4 to bring decision time forward to now, and I invite the minister to move such a motion. Happily moved, Presiding Officer. The point of order, Christine Grahame. I'll be brief. It just seems to me, Presiding Officer, and I seek your guidance that we are very thin on some of the benches in this chamber, in particular on the Conservative benches. Now, this erosion has been happening over a period of time, and I seek your guidance as to what the rules are about attending Parliament in person and remotely. I thank Christine Grahame for her point that it is not a matter for the chair. At this point we will move on to decision time. There are three questions. Members, I invite the front benches to stop exchanging views at this stage. We are going to ask whether Parliament has agreed to decision time being brought forward to now. Are we all agreed? An outbreak of harmony. We move to decision time. Amendment 8713.2 in the name of Jamie Halcro Johnston, which seeks to amend motion 8713 in the name of Richard Lochhead on opportunities for the space sector in Scotland. Are we all agreed? That is agreed. The next question is amendment 8713.1 in the name of Daniel Johnson, which seeks to amend motion 8713. Are we all agreed? That is agreed. The final question is that motion 8713 in the name of Richard Lochhead, as amended, on opportunities for the space sector in Scotland be agreed. Are we all agreed? That is agreed. That concludes decision time, and I close this meeting of Parliament.


Of course, we have our standard Starlink launch, which we do now pretty much every week. Launching just after the last Vandy Delta at 2332UTC from Slick 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Group 435 had 52 satellites headed for their initial 337x232km 53.22° low Earth orbits.