Plans for a £9m space technology testing centre in Keighley could create 50 jobs and establish the West Yorkshire town as a nationally important hub for the sector.
Space Test North would provide specialist radio frequency and environmental testing for space and satellite hardware, with Bradford Council saying there is currently no comparable facility of its kind across the North.
The proposed facility would be based at Providence Park, the business park off Dalton Lane developed using funding from the Keighley Towns Fund.
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Bradford Council’s Executive will consider the proposals on September 8, when members will be asked to approve up to £4.524m from the Local Regeneration Fund towards the project.
The funding would go to MPG Europe, a brand under Dover Corporation’s MPG operating company, towards the £9m capital cost of developing the centre.
The remaining investment would be provided by Dover Corporation. If total expenditure comes in below £9.048m, the council’s contribution would be capped at 50%.
The council funding would come entirely from the existing £19.8m Levelling Up Fund allocation for Keighley, now known as the Local Regeneration Fund.
A report going before the Executive says the investment would “facilitate a significant inward investment into a space equipment testing facility in Keighley, to boost economic development, skills and training, in line with the district’s Regeneration & Growth Strategy, delivering new advanced research, testing and manufacturing capacity.”
It adds: “This project gives Bradford District a rare opportunity to secure a globally backed investment that would create the North’s only space-testing facility, anchor a growing space and RF cluster in Keighley, generate high-skilled jobs, develop local talent, and establish the district as a nationally important hub for advanced manufacturing and space technology.”
Space Test North would comprise around 1,400 sq m of industrial testing space alongside 200 sq m dedicated to training.
The facility would be equipped with specialist technology including vacuum and thermal chambers, a humidity chamber and vibration table, allowing conditions encountered by equipment in space to be recreated in Keighley.
The project is expected to create 50 jobs as well as specialised training and career opportunities.
Councillor Andrew Judson, Bradford Council’s Lead Member for Economy, Planning and Regeneration, said: “This is a genuinely exciting opportunity for Keighley and for the whole of our district.
“We already have a strong and growing space, radio frequency and advanced manufacturing cluster across the Aire Valley but crucially, this is about people as well as technology. It is set to create permanent skilled jobs, specialised training and career pathways.
“We are being asked to make a strategic investment in Keighley’s future as a place to create and innovate, strengthening our position as an emerging UK space hub.”
