BUSINESSES interested in working at the final frontier will be gathering at a major space conference and trade show in the region.

The event, expected to attract up to 230 delegates, is hosted by the North East Satellite Applications Centre of Excellence on Wednesday November 19 at the Xcel Centre, Aycliffe Business Park.

The 25-strong speaker line up leads with the largest supplier to the space sector, Airbus Defence & Space, whose UK Head of Research and Development Chris Ward will address the delegates. Other representatives from the industry include: Steve Lee, of Stevenson Astrosat; Craig Clark of Clyde Space; and Doug Liddle of Surrey Satellite Technology.

Supported by leading industry bodies the Satellite Applications Catapult, the Space KTN, UK Space and Science Finance Network, the conference includes a special session focusing on an SME Journey – an animated journey of growth of an SME using satellite technology.

John Hildreth, North East Satellite Applications Centre of Excellence manager, said: “Businesses from across the region will be able to explore new opportunities in the multi-billion pound space sector, which was recently valued at £11.3bn for the UK.

The event is hosted by the North East Satellite Applications Centre of Excellence and supported by the Catapult Satellite Applications Catapult, the Space KTN, Science Finance Network, UK Space and Airbus Defence & Space.

A gala dinner on November 18 precedes the conference. Limited tickets are available. For details and to confirm a place log on to www.satelliteapplicationsnortheast.co.uk

For information, contact Amanda Armstrong on 0191 426 6333 or email amanda.armstrong@be-group.co.uk