M&C in the news: UK bets £7.8bn on space tech’s ‘significant growth opportunities’

Marks & Clerk’s Yun-Hang Cho was featured in World IP Review commenting on the UK government's new £7.8 billion national space strategy, which aims to strengthen the country's position in areas including satellite communications, in-orbit servicing, space manufacturing and sovereign launch capabilities. The strategy brings together government investment under a single framework and signals a renewed commitment to turning the UK's space expertise into commercial and strategic advantage.

Commenting on the announcement, Yun-Hang welcomed the government's continued backing of the sector, noting that the strategy demonstrates that, despite changes within the UK Space Agency, there remains a strong commitment to supporting space-sector research and development and translating innovation into commercial opportunities. He highlighted the importance of sovereign space infrastructure and emphasised that space technologies already deliver practical benefits across a wide range of industries while generating strong economic returns.

Yun-Hang also pointed to the significant opportunities the investment could create for UK innovators. He noted that emerging technologies such as in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) and advanced satellite systems offer substantial growth potential and position UK businesses to play a leading role in the next generation of space innovation. He further highlighted the government's renewed support for SaxaVord, arguing that strengthening UK launch capabilities will help secure the country's position as a leading launch location with direct access to polar orbits.

A key theme of Yun-Hang's comments was the importance of long-term investment and commercialisation. His observations reinforce a broader industry message that the future success of the UK space sector will depend not only on research excellence, but also on the ability of businesses to develop, protect and commercialise their innovations. The coverage highlights Marks & Clerk's expertise at the intersection of intellectual property, innovation and the rapidly evolving space economy.

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