Support for Start-ups in Space Tech and Big Data

A new centre in Edinburgh is offering start-up companies direct access to world leading scientists, engineers and big data experts, as part of UK Government efforts to help boost productivity and innovation. The Higgs Centre for Innovation offers specialist expertise and support in space-related technology and big-data analytics; up to 12 companies will be based in the Centre at any one time and will work next to researchers and engineers from both STFC’s UK Astronomy Technology Centre and the University of Edinburgh.

Science Minister Sam Gyimah said: “Scotland has an outstanding reputation for science and innovation, and the Higgs Centre will harness this creativity, helping disruptive start-ups and entrepreneurs create the products of tomorrow.

“Big data and space technology have endless opportunities and through our modern Industrial Strategy we are supporting our world leading innovators to help to build a Britain fit for the future.”

The Higgs Centre for Innovation is funded through a £10.7 million investment from the UK Government through STFC and STFC is also investing £2M over the next five years to operate the Centre. The Centre incorporates laboratories and working spaces for researchers, and facilities suitable for businesses, and includes a Business Incubation Centre (BIC) based on the successful European Space Agency model already in operation in the UK.

Operated by STFC, who are part of UK Research and Innovation, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, the Centre will also support new academic activities and enable the University’s astronomy and astrophysics PhD students to work directly with start-up companies to solve real-world problems.

The Centre is named in honour of Professor Peter Higgs of the University of Edinburgh, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2013 for his theoretical prediction of the Higgs boson.