Business development

As well as providing the complete range of skills and technology necessary for the construction of space instruments, the commercial team also support a number of key technology development programmes, aimed at advancing state-of-the-art in areas of strategic importance to the space community. The commercial team are from a variety of technical backgrounds in Science and Technology which allows the team to interact with the technical customers we serve in a knowledgeable manner and providing that link to the wider expertise and experience within RAL Space. The commercial team is led by Graham Toplis and consists of three Business Development managers and a dedicated Sales Contracts and Finance team.

As a department of the STFC, the Business Development managers are employed by the commercialisation subsidiary, STFC Innovations Ltd (link opens in a new window)and are also responsbile for supporting opportunities for spin-out of space technology and liaison on IP matters.

While the majority of our work is for the UK Space Agency and other government organisations, a significant portion is sourced through industry, international cooperation including NASA, JAXA and ISRO or under contract to the European Space Agency (ESA). The space industry is a highly collaborative environment; we rely on the strong network of UK and international partners on which to build success.