After much fanfare today at the launch of the UK Space Agency’s name and an announcement of £40 million going towards the International Science and Innovation Centre (ISIC) the ISISC’s future is already in doubt
The government funds provided as part of the £40 million announced are only for the next year years and funding beyond that is not guaranteed. The funding consists of £16 million from industry and £24 million from government. The £24 million includes £12 million from agencies such as the Technology Strategy Board and the South East of England Development Agency and the remainder is from Department for Business Innovation and Skills
The UK government’s space minister, Lord Paul Drayson of Kensington minister of state for science and innovation could not confirm that funds would be there in future. “[It depends on] how well industry responds to it. Future funding depends on its success,” Drayson told Hyperbola at the UK Space Agency launch event in central London, describing the centre as a partnership for growth
However the governing Labour party faces an election in May, expected on 6 May, that it is expected to lose
Based at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire the ISIC will come under the responsibilities of the space agency which will fund separate novel power source research at Harwell separately
