Winner of Scottish space race announced

The winners of the Pivot into Space Programme, the Scotland-wide initiative designed to help companies prepare for selling into the growing space supply chain by adapting and scaling their technologies, have been announced.

The winners: (L-R) Dr. Giulia Marcucci (LumiAIres), Matteo Cese (CEXAL), Kevin Duthie (Thistle Design), Peter Young (Space Scotland), Gordon Stewart (Thistle Design), Dr. Roy McBride (PowerPhotonic), Dr. Antonia Pavlidou (LumiAIres), Dr. Praveenkumar Kaveri (CEXAL).

The Pivot into Space programme, part-funded by the UK Space Agency (UKSA), helps organisations from advanced manufacturing, robotics, photonics, life sciences and other adjacent sectors to develop space-ready technologies, unlock new commercial opportunities, and strengthen the UK and Scotland's space capabilities.

The strong demand for the programme reflects the scale of opportunity within the Scottish space industry and highlights growing recognition of space as a new and viable revenue stream for businesses from a wide range of sectors. It supports the wider ambition of demonstrating that the space sector is open to all, not just traditional space companies.

The Scottish programme is based on the highly successful Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA) model, which was developed to help non-aerospace companies enter the space sector. Through this approach, the MAA supported businesses to achieve aerospace accreditations such as an AS9100, understand the requirements of Tier 1 and Tier 2 primes, and secure their first aerospace contracts.

The model is widely recognised for enabling companies to diversify into high-value aerospace markets, move from initial R&D to commercial production, and establish long term positions within regulated, export driven supply chains.

Space Scotland, the industry group that unites, supports, and promotes the rapidly growing Scottish space sector, has announced the four successful winners as being:

• CEXAL, based in Edinburgh, specialising in Biotechnology;

• LumiAIres, based in Glasgow, specialising in Photonic AI Processors;

• PowerPhotonic, based in Dunfermline, specialising in Advanced Manufacturing;

• Thistle Design, based in Loanhead, specialising in Electronics Manufacturing;

Each company will deliver a sprint R&D project, supported by grants of up to £25,000, covering 50–70% of project costs. Projects commenced in January and will be completed by 23 March 2026, ensuring rapid progression from concept to commercial opportunity.

Peter Young, chair of Space Scotland, said: “This year’s Pivot into Space winners perfectly demonstrate the breadth and depth of innovation across Scotland.

“These companies show how non-space capabilities can be rapidly adapted to address space sector challenges.

“Supporting this kind of cross-industry innovation is essential to building resilient supply chains and cementing Scotland’s position at the forefront of the global space industry.”

Antonia Yendell, head of space ecosystem development at the UK Space Agency, added: “We’re pleased to partner with Space Scotland to deliver the Pivot into Space programme.

“Bringing more companies into the space sector is key to strengthening Scotland’s and the UK’s space industry, driving economic growth and building capability across the ecosystem.”

The funded projects demonstrate strong alignment with the UK Space Agency’s capability priorities, including areas such as Earth Observation, Launch and Space Domain Awareness - demonstrating clear routes to market, commercial demand, and long-term growth beyond the grant period.