Senior Lockheed Martin Official Tours North East Space Facilities
Dan Tenney, senior vice president of Global Business Development and Strategy at Lockheed Martin, returned to the North East to witness the progress of the company's significant investments in the region. The visit included a tour of the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space UK, Northumbria University, and the UK Space Agency, scheduled to open later this year at Northumbria's Newcastle city centre campus in the Wynne Jones building.
£85m Satellite Factory and £50m Research Facility
Tenney was instrumental in driving Lockheed Martin UK's commitment to the North East, which includes plans for an £85m satellite assembly plant at County Durham's NETPark and the establishment of a £50m space research facility with Northumbria University. He was accompanied by Rod Drury, vice president of Global Space, to assess how the company's involvement has bolstered the growing space sector.
Tenney said: "The North East is building something unique for the UK. The combination of world-class skills, industrial capability and regional leadership is creating the foundations for a sovereign space ecosystem that can support economic growth, innovation, and national capability. It has been inspiring to see the progress made since our initial investment discussions and to see the vision becoming a reality."
Job Creation and Skills Pipeline
The visit follows an early June announcement by Lockheed Martin UK that it was seeking to hire an initial 17 people in the North East, part of wider ambitions to create up to 2,000 jobs across the UK. The roles include high-tech positions in nuclear radiation hardening, spacecraft platforms, and cryptography, as well as commercial managers, supply chain leads, cost analysts, trainer roles, and senior project planners.
These jobs are part of Lockheed Martin UK's commitment to a long-term skills pipeline in the region. In May, following a meeting in Washington DC between North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and Lockheed Martin UK, a memorandum of understanding was signed to solidify that commitment, along with investment and supply chain growth.
Satellite Factory Plans Contingent on Government Contract
Drury's return to the region followed a March visit where he outlined plans for the £85m satellite factory at NETPark, a move he said could create up to 500 jobs. Those plans are contingent on Lockheed being awarded a Government contract, which is due to be announced any time. If successful, Lockheed would establish an assembly and testing facility spanning more than 50,000 sqft, initially focusing on assembly of components built elsewhere, with Drury expressing hope that in time, Lockheed could manufacture parts in the North East.
