Liverpool City Region to take a giant leap into space

The North West of England is set to become a major player in the global space economy.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham signed a groundbreaking agreement with Axiom Space, the company behind the world’s first commercial space station.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sets out a framework for collaboration in space-based research, development, and manufacturing, positioning the North West as a hub for innovation in microgravity science and space technology.

With the global space economy predicted to be worth £490 billion by 2030, this agreement ensures the UK – and the North West in particular – has a major stake in the sector’s future.

The agreement builds on discussions between Mayor Rotheram and British astronaut Tim Peake, a strategic advisor to Axiom Space, and discussions between Axiom and Mayor Burnham at the South by Southwest® (SXSW®) festival in 2023. Peake has championed the UK’s potential in space-based innovation and has supported efforts to connect scientific research and commercial opportunities with UK regions.

Axiom Space is the principal provider of commercial human spaceflight services, including missions to the International Space Station (ISS), and is developing the world’s first commercial space station, Axiom Station, fostering groundbreaking innovation and research in microgravity, The company is also the developer of advanced spacesuits for the Moon and low-Earth orbit.

Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram, said:

“For centuries, our region has been at the forefront of innovation—from the world’s first passenger railway to breakthroughs in modern medicine. Now, we’re looking to space as the next great frontier for our expertise in advanced manufacturing, materials science, and biotech.

“This collaboration with Axiom Space puts us at the cutting edge of a global industry that’s predicted to be worth nearly half a trillion pounds within the decade. The Liverpool City Region has the talent, ambition, and infrastructure to lead the way, attracting investment, creating high-skilled jobs, and ensuring that space-based research delivers real-world benefits for people and businesses here on Earth.”

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region – Steve Rotheram, Chief Revenue Officer at Axiom Space – Tejpaul Bhatia and Mayor of Greater Manchester – Andy Burnham. Image provided by LCRCA

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said:

“This collaboration with Axiom Space is a great example of what can be done when our City Regions work together to drive growth.

“Space is one of the UK’s fastest growing sectors, and Greater Manchester is perfectly placed to lead this innovative work, with our strengths in advanced materials and manufacturing, life sciences, AI and Data.

“The expertise in our universities, digital sector, and manufacturing and engineering firms mean that we can seize this opportunity to create highly skilled, well paid jobs across our city region.”

Chief Revenue Officer at Axiom Space, Tejpaul Bhatia, said:

“Axiom Space is developing Space-based infrastructure that will create new markets and economic opportunities around the world.

“This includes orbital data centers that will facilitate new capabilities in telecommunications, Earth observation and data analytics, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, orbital laboratories that will unlock innovations in microgravity with the potential for scientific breakthroughs across various industries, and orbital factories that will leverage the environment of Space to manufacture pharmaceuticals and materials otherwise not possible on Earth.

Moreover, Space-based infrastructure like orbital data centers supports terrestrial sustainability by utilizing unlimited solar power, cooling, and real estate in Space, offsetting long-term strains on those limited terrestrial resources.

We are thrilled to collaborate with the UK to leverage Space-based infrastructure to empower regional economies, stimulate job creation, and boost global competitiveness.”

Under the terms of the MoU, the partnership will focus on:

Space-based communications, AI, and cybersecurity
Environmental monitoring and disaster management using satellite technology
Microgravity research in biotech and medicine
In-space manufacturing for advanced materials and new products

This agreement cements the North West’s role at the cutting edge of global innovation, bringing new opportunities for businesses, researchers, and workers across the region.

By leveraging the Liverpool City Region Freeport and Life Sciences Innovation Zone, and Greater Manchester’s Investment Zone, research, development and commercialisation strengths, the collaboration will explore how research in low-Earth orbit can accelerate new discoveries and drive significant regional and national economic growth.

With this agreement, the North West is staking its claim in the future of the global space economy – and making sure that when the world looks to the stars, it sees Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester, and the UK leading the way.