Hopes are rising that a factory bringing 500 jobs to the North East will go ahead, after it emerged that £20m has been invested in the site at NETPark in Sedgefield, County Durham.
Global aerospace company Lockheed Martin wants to create the jobs at a new satellite factory at the science park. The plans depend on the company winning a Government contract to create and maintain satellites, with a decision expected before the end of the year.
Plans and Investment
Lockheed Martin is competing with European firm Airbus for the contract, though the North East plans have been reported to be favoured by Ministers. The planned facility would focus on satellite assembly and testing, with Lockheed stating that numerous high-quality positions would be created.
As well as 500 direct jobs, it is hoped that the factory would act as an “anchor” to attract companies in its supply chain to County Durham and the wider North East. The company and its public sector partners have invested £20m in the site, raising hopes that it could be up and running soon.
Regional Impact
The North East currently receives the lowest defence spending in the UK, and it is hoped that the satellite factory would help turn around that statistic, as well as meeting Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to bring “growth to every postcode”. The company has a long-term goal of creating as many as 2,000 new, highly skilled jobs.
Both the North East mayoral authority and Business Durham have been supporting the Lockheed Martin bid. If successful, the factory would aim to export to Europe and possibly the US, as well as meeting Government contracts.
Support for Space Skills
Lockheed Martin is also supporting the North East Space Skills Technology (NESST) Centre, a £50m facility at Northumbria University which aims to boost the North East’s specialisms in optical satellite communications, space weather, and space-based energy. The company has also been supporting the region’s Space Camp programme, which provides STEM education for North East schools and colleges.
Chris Spicer, the new regional director for the UK and Europe at Lockheed Martin Space, said: “Lockheed Martin Space is investing more than £100m in North East England. This includes our £15m commitment to the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre at Northumbria University and a proposed £85m satellite manufacturing and test facility at NETPark in County Durham.
“We’re also looking at long-term regional STEM engagement, local Space Camps and advanced degree partnerships designed to help foster the UK’s sovereign space economy.”
NETPark is a science and business park created on the site of the former Winterton psychiatric hospital at Sedgefield. It opened in 2004 and has been extended a number of times since then, providing a home for hi-tech businesses including Kromek, Filtronic and Pragmatic.
