Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin and its public sector partners have invested £20m in a County Durham site as the company bids for a Government contract to build a new satellite factory at NETPark, Sedgefield, that could create 500 jobs in the North East.
The proposed facility would focus on satellite assembly and testing, with Lockheed indicating that substantial high-calibre roles would be generated. Beyond 500 direct positions, the facility is expected to serve as an "anchor" drawing supply chain businesses to County Durham and the broader region.
Investment and Government Contract Bid
The proposals hinge on the firm securing a Government contract to produce and maintain satellites, with a verdict anticipated before year-end. Lockheed Martin is competing against European rival Airbus for the deal, though the North East scheme has reportedly gained ministerial backing.
It has now emerged that the corporation and its public sector collaborators have committed £20m to the development, boosting expectations of imminent operations. The North East presently receives the lowest defence investment across the UK, and campaigners believe the satellite plant would help reverse that trend, while delivering on Prime Minister Andy Burnham's commitment to bring "growth to every postcode", reports Chronicle Live.
Regional Support and Wider Commitments
Both the North East mayoral authority and Business Durham have been backing the Lockheed Martin proposal. Should the bid prove successful, the facility would target exports to Europe and potentially the US, while also fulfilling Government contracts.
Lockheed Martin is additionally backing the North East Space Skills Technology (NESST) Centre, a £50m facility at Northumbria University designed to enhance the North East's expertise in optical satellite communications, space weather, and space-based energy. The company has also been championing the region's Space Camp programme, delivering STEM education to schools and colleges across the North East.
Company Investment and Future Plans
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 established on the former site of Winterton psychiatric hospital at Sedgefield. Launched in 2004, it has undergone several expansions, becoming home to high-tech enterprises including Kromek, Filtronic and Pragmatic.
