Burges Salmon Announces Sponsorship to Boost Scotland’s Space Sector
Independent UK law firm Burges Salmon has been unveiled as Space Scotland’s first corporate sponsor in a new partnership that is set to help unlock growth in Scotland’s growing commercial space sector.
Burges Salmon is committed to working in collaboration with Space Scotland and other industry and academic bodies to position Scotland as one of the wider UK leaders for space developments and as a world-class hub for space innovation.
Operating within a market contributing in excess of £4bn per year to the Scottish economy, Space Scotland is heavily involved in the delivery of the Government’s Scottish Space Strategy. This includes ambitious plans to establish a network of horizontal and vertical satellite launch sites, pursue the development and deployment of green technologies, and build on existing strengths in satellite data analysis and research.
Burges Salmon will provide financial and in-kind support as part of a meaningful investment to advance Space Scotland’s mission. The firm is committing expertise and resource to support Space Scotland’s working groups and is offering Space Scotland members access to the firm’s innovative BScale platform. A perfect fit for the space sector, BScale provides high-quality legal advice for start-ups, scale-ups, founders and investors with a particular focus on supporting high growth businesses in the technology sector.
Keith Beattie, Partner and Head of Burges Salmon’s Space and Satellites team, comments: “The space sector is one of the most exciting growth areas for UK industry, but it is also subject to complex and rapidly developing regulatory requirements and unique commercial challenges. We share Space Scotland’s commitment to unlocking growth and building a vibrant and successful future. Key to supporting and advancing the Scottish space industry is ensuring that Space Scotland’s members have access to multi-disciplinary legal advice with deep domain expertise. As a firm we are strategically committed to Scotland and our partnership with Space Scotland plays an important role in bringing our space and satellites experience to a new and emerging market.”
Professor Andrew Mount, Chair at Space Scotland, says: “We’re delighted to announce this first strategic partnership with industry. This pioneering collaboration with Burges Salmon demonstrates the role such strategic partners can play in helping us deliver against identified Scottish space sector ambitions and goals, providing real benefits to our members and other sector stakeholders. We recognise Burges Salmon's commitment to Scotland’s growth, and their ability to harness their distinctive and extensive experience to advise on complex space projects across the regulatory spectrum. Through bringing the legal and space sectors together in partnership, the aim is to establish a key pillar needed for a sustainable, impactful and prosperous Scottish space economy, both nationally and globally.”
Christina MacLeod, Cluster Manager at Space Scotland added: “Our team is fully focused on supporting Scotland's space ecosystem to develop and grow. This work would not be possible without the collaboration of our academic and government partners, along with sponsors like Burges Salmon. Their support enables us to tackle shared challenges and maximise opportunities through our working groups, events, and projects. We’re excited to have Burges Salmon join us on this journey to expand the sector and drive its growth together.”
Burges Salmon’s Space and Satellites team advises on all aspects of space projects, providing legal solutions and tailored commercial advice to support customers, service providers, manufacturers and funders in the sector. The firm’s experience spans commercial and public sector projects, and both civil and military domains.
Space Scotland brings together industry, academia, and government to coordinate the country’s space activities. By 2024, its network of 75 members includes satellite manufacturers, spaceports, launch providers, payload suppliers, and academic institutions. Acting as a unified voice for Scotland’s space sector, it develops and executes strategy and action plans aligned with both Scottish and UK space strategies. Space Scotland’s mission is to foster a thriving community that drives the growth of a world-class space sector, championing an inclusive and sustainable approach to space operations.