Cross-sector, international collaboration is something that is critical for a functioning and
prosperous global economy. For this to work effectively you need secure, reliable and robust
infrastructure to communicate, provide insight and unlock new opportunities.
Space is no longer a domain solely occupied by wealthy governments, with Earth’s orbits
increasingly becoming home for innovative solutions to various challenges, designed,
manufactured, launched and analysed by private businesses and commercial players.
Earth observation is one such space-enabled domain, allowing us to see our globe from the
ultimate vantage point. Space data from satellites provides a different perspective on our
activities on Earth, the information it unveils giving decision makers across almost every
sector imaginable actionable insight to reduce costs, verify ESG claims, improve operational
efficiencies, measure progress, support the environment and help logistics companies, taxis
and our take-away cyclists get from A to B.
The financial services industry is finding new ways to collaborate with Earth Observation
companies all the time, ensuring investments are for the benefit of shareholders, society and
the net zero goals, whilst contributing to a $7.6 billion data and services market by 2032
(according to AstroAgency’s market intelligence partners NovaSpace). Allowing
governments and industry to assess how to navigate an effective green transition enables
decision makers across public and private domains to create a cleaner world, whilst
unlocking new economic and growth opportunities.
Space has traditionally been the home of breakthrough technologies that have become a
pivotal part of financial services, such as enabling timing and synchronisation for
transactions, risk modelling for underwriters and providing fact-backed satellite imagery for
claim assessments. These are only the beginning for a sector on the up, with disruptive
companies already grasping at opportunities across the Americas, Asia and Europe. When
coupled with the adoption of emerging technologies, such as machine learning and artificial
intelligence, space will only continue to grow in its importance for everyday life on Earth.
Home to some of the smartest engineering and scientific brains, space is equipped to meet
the newest and most challenging needs of sectors across the globe, from mobility markets to
mining and energy, space is able to meet its needs and uncover new opportunities.
Whilst the value of space is hard to quantify, the World Economic Forum labels it as a ‘$1.8
Trillion Opportunity for Global Economic Growth’. To ignore this global moment is to lose out
in the present, and to be obsolete in the future. Providing the right players in the emerging
‘NewSpace industry’ with the requisite capital will be critical to meeting this label, one in
which public and private investment will only continue to match, if it is to be taken seriously
as an credible international organisation.
Space is a sector that supports and uplifts so many. Those in the sector know of the impact it
already makes, as well as the role it must play in order to successfully implement our green
and digital transformation for a prosperous future. Outside of the sector, the story is a lot less
clear, filled with questions and uncertainty. Space must learn to communicate and educate
how its technologies, products and services are here to help Earth, to help society and
business.
AstroAgency is a strategic communications firm dedicated exclusively to growing the
commercial space sector through digital marketing, events and market guidance.
Headquartered in Edinburgh and with offices in Harwell and Dnipro, we help businesses and
government agencies navigate, network and promote their benefits across key target
audiences. The company also has a proven track record for helping non-space companies
sell into the space sector, or reduce costs through using space data.
Our recent projects include analysis across Scotland’s Earth Observation “downstream data”
sector to provide insight to the Scottish Government and its agencies on the capabilities of
the industry and the cross-sector challenges that it can help solve. Similar projects have
been undertaken with the UK Space Agency, looking at how sensor data from satellites can
solve challenges in regions such as the Gulf. Our 50+ clients range from satellite and rocket
manufacturers to spaceport developers and data analytics companies using space to
support insurance, maritime, energy, forestry, conservation, mining and much more.
Reach out to discover how space, its businesses and talent can help unlock new
opportunities for the finance industry.
Daniel is a serial space entrepreneur who has played a founding role in five Scottish space companies, including global space marketing leaders AstroAgency. He is also a Founding Director of not-for-profit Space Scotland, established to enable the development of the Scottish space sector through active engagement with industry, academia, government and adjacent markets. An industry-led initiative, Space Scotland actively promotes the entirety of Scotland’s ‘end-to-end’ value chain, reinforcing the UK proposition. As Co-Chair in 2021, he led the development of the inaugural Scottish Space Strategy, from the drafting phase to stakeholder engagement that secured final approval for the document. A member of the UK Space Agency Space Safety & Sustainability Advisory Group, CPG for Space at Holyrood, ESA BIC UK Steering Group, he also sits on the Advisory Board for UK Students for the Exploration & Development of Space (UKSEDS) and is the Founder of Space Scotland’s Environmental Task Force. Daniel has been nominated for three Sir Arthur Clarke awards for services to the UK space industry, notably around sustainability and communications, as well as being a Great British Entrepreneur of the Year Award finalist. An advocate for changing the perception of “space” from astronauts and exploration to focus on the benefits of space technology for the economy, environment and society, he is especially passionate about space sustainability. He has spoken on the sector’s environmental impact and its role in Net Zero with CNN, BBC, on stage alongside the First Minister at COP28, as well as Expo Dubai, Korea Space Forum, London Science Museum, NewSpace Atlantic Summit, World Satellite Business Week and three United Nations space events.
