News Releases

Since Buckinghamshire LEP was established over a decade ago, it has built strong foundations upon which our economy has thrived. We have worked tirelessly with stakeholders, including political, educational, professional and community leaders, to make Buckinghamshire a highly attractive place for business, which is why we are one of the top performing areas in the country.

Since I was appointed Chair of Buckinghamshire LEP in November 2015, I have been proud to help steer and drive the direction of the organisation alongside a dedicated and hard-working Board and Executive Team.

Business is taking off for thriving heating and engineering company Optec Group after it joined a special networking platform.

Optec is now signed up to the Space Cluster group which holds monthly meetings for firms based at Westcott Venture Park.

“The UK Space Agencies announcement of a further £2m investment into the In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing facilities within the Westcott Space Cluster is excellent news and a clear endorsement of the vital role both Westcott and the UK are looking to play in improving sustainability in satellite usage and maintenance.”

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire Business First’s latest Business Barometer survey shows the second half of 2023 brought slightly weakened business confidence, as rising costs and reduced consumer spending continue to take their toll.

Net balance performance scores suggest trading conditions have not improved since the first quarter of 2023, but are a slight improvement on the previous year. Businesses reported rising sales and custom, turnover and workforce growth, but reported declining orders/ pipeline and rising costs, which is ultimately leading to falling profits.

European Astrotech (EAL), a company specialising in engineering, technical, and advisory support to the space propulsion industry, is poised for a remarkable year of business.

The company concluded 2023 on a high note with the successful SARah 2 and 3 launch campaign. The spacecrafts underwent successful pressure testing and fuelling during the first week of December, leading to a momentous launch on December 24th from the SpaceX facility at the Vandenberg Space Force base in California.

Lunaz has announced plans to double its workforce at its Silverstone Park HQ from 175 to 350 people by the middle of 2025.

Founder David Lorenz made the announcement during a visit to the company’s industrial premises by Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer.

We have much to be proud of in the eleven years since Buckinghamshire LEP was established. Over this period, we have built strong foundations upon which our economy has thrived and worked tirelessly with stakeholders, including political, education, business and community leaders, to make our county a highly attractive place for business, which is why we are one of the top performing areas in the country.

Drone Navigation Software developers Flare Bright, based in the Westcott Space Cluster at Westcott Venture Park, has been making waves in the industry with its ground breaking innovations.

The company’s remarkable growth and success have caught the attention of the Government, which recently published an article highlighting Flare Bright’s tremendous achievements.

Rapid expansion at a long-established business specialising in spacecraft rocket engine and propulsion systems manufacturing and testing has prompted a move to state-of-the-art premises.

Nammo has continued to be based at Westcott Venture Park but relocated to a new UK HQ at Building 6040 within the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Zone.

A company using drones to deliver cargo, food and medical supplies to remote locations has seen demand for its services take off.

Skyports Drone Services, based in the Westcott Space Cluster, is going from strength to strength thanks to a clutch of contracts from across the world.

Space research, manufacturing and testing facilities at the Westcott Space Cluster will get a £5.9 million boost thanks to UK Space Agency funding, which was announced during the UK Space Conference held in Belfast yesterday.

Royal Mail and Skyports Drone Services have today announced the launch of the Orkney I-Port operation, a drone delivery project established in partnership with Orkney Islands Council Harbour Authority and Loganair.

Westcott based European Astrotech has successfully fuelled and pressurized the F7R Triton satellite with hydrazine in preparation for the next Vega flight, VV23 on 4th October.

A company which transforms refuse trucks and classic cars into state-of-the-art electric vehicles has been named the Buckinghamshire Business of the Year.

A company specialising in 3D modelling for space and engineering applications has been given a major boost after being accepted onto a support and development scheme.

A company which is developing rocket technology powered by water has been shortlisted for an international award. URA Thrusters has been shortlisted in the top 50 finalists for the European Startup Prize for Mobility.

Silverstone Park clean-tech business Lunaz has been appointed to ‘upcycle’ bin lorries to electric power for national operator Biffa as well as Buckinghamshire Council.

A special event designed to provide an insight into the future of the space industry has been hailed a major success.

Research conducted by Technolopolis on the Evaluation of Growth Hubs between 2015 and 2020, highlights Buckinghamshire’s Growth Hub, Buckinghamshire Business First, as one of the top performing in the country.

School children were given a fascinating insight into the world of space during a visit to Westcott Venture Park.

Students from across the UK came together for the ‘Race to Space’ competition where they set an unofficial world record for the number of different hybrid/liquid rocket engines hot-fired for the first time on one site in one week.

With all the excitement of this weekends (7 – 9 July) Grand Prix at Silverstone, it is easy to forget there is far more going on at Silverstone than just Formula 1.

Directors of a start-up firm which helps with manufacturing in space are celebrating after being the first business to benefit from a new funding and development initiative.

Westcott based European Astrotech has successfully fuelled the EUCLID spacecraft on behalf of ESA, OHB-SE and TAS-I ahead of its launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in July 2023.

Westcott, 28 June 2023 – Growbotics and Techwerk have joined the Westcott Space Cluster to take advantage of new funding available through the Westcott Incubator and Accelerator (WIA) Programme. They will become part of the fast-growing ecosystem of space companies situated at Westcott Venture Park.

The government has today, 14 June, announced that Royal Holloway, University of London, is the preferred bidder for the national Convergent Screen Technologies and performance in Realtime (CoSTAR) lab. This was announced as part of the government’s Creative Industries Sector Vision to maximise the potential of the UK creative industries and grow the economy.

Business people are being invited to join the board of the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), to help to help steer the future of an area with an economic output worth over £18 billion.

The Confident Futures Skills Show is Buckinghamshire’s most exciting experiential careers event aimed at young people and career seekers with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or those facing barriers to entering the workforce.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is proud to announce its sponsorship of the national propulsion competition UK Race2Space which is aimed at inspiring students and giving them the skills needed to join the space industry.

A unique opportunity for employers to inspire the next generation, the Confident Futures Skills Show is Buckinghamshire’s most exciting experiential careers event aimed at young people and career seekers with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or those facing barriers to entering the workforce.

One of Europe’s leading niche cable and wiring harness manufacturers is going from strength to strength at Silverstone Park with new investment in equipment and training.

The Buckinghamshire Recovery Investment Fund was established by Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic to directly support businesses needing to adapt their operational practices.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are as prestigious a business honour as you can get, a royal seal of approval and global recognition that your business is outstanding in its field.

The Satellite Applications Catapult launches its new Drone Test and Development Centre (DTDC) facility at Westcott Venture Park in Buckinghamshire.

A pioneering rocket technology firm has successfully tested a rocket using only water as a propellant.

Local businesses are being asked for their reactions to the government’s Spring Budget, as part of the latest Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey.

Matt Peachey formerly of Oxford City Council has been named as the new Head of Enterprise Zone Development for Buckinghamshire.

A company dedicated to training students and staff involved in the space industry is going from strength to strength after opening a new facility.

Over 5,000 people walked through the doors of Stoke Mandeville Stadium for two days of careers inspiration, at this year’s Bucks Skills Show held across 8th and 9th March.

A pioneering company specialising in the development of drone services including deliveries, surveys and monitoring operations, is spreading its wings as it looks to provide medical supplies to remote communities.

Businesses in Buckinghamshire have a unique chance to improve the strength and depth of the local skills and labour markets across key sectors and skillsets, thanks to Buckinghamshire’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), which aims to align local skills needs with local skills training.

Lunaz Applied Technologies (LAT) has announced that its vast vehicle upcycling campus at Silverstone Park is now fully operational following a major expansion.

We have much to be proud of in the ten years since Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership was established. Over the past decade we have built strong foundations to help our business community grow and worked tirelessly with stakeholders, political, education, business and community leaders to make our county a highly attractive place for businesses to thrive.

Silverstone Park within the Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone is continuing to expand rapidly with high demand backed by ongoing finance and support channelled through the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Working together can produce spectacular results – that is the message being delivered by members of the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

One of the world’s leading companies in the delivery of complex equipment and instrumentation for Space and large scientific facilities has arrived at Westcott Venture Park.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire Business First’s latest Business Barometer survey shows the second quarter of 2022 brought a negative change to trading conditions and business performance for respondents, undoing some of the progress achieved following the end of Covid restrictions.

Small businesses looking to develop their expertise in the space sector are being offered a new funding package.

Join the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) team at their Annual General Meeting on the 15th November at the newly opened Building 4000 situated within the Westcott Enterprise Zone, to hear all about their achievements over the past year and ambitious plans for the future.

A technology company focusing on helping cyclists achieve ultimate performance levels is on track to expansion.

Garden room company Green Retreats has expanded into a new facility within the Westcott Venture Park Enterprise Zone, scaling up the business to create a further 250 jobs.

A hi-tech business is expanding rapidly and creating jobs boosted by business rates relief provided by the Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone as a Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership programme.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) and Buckinghamshire Business First are seeking the views of local businesses for the latest Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey, which seeks views in particular on rising costs being experienced by businesses.

A company which restores and re-engineers a range of vehicles from refuse trucks to classic cars with state-of-the-art electric technology is going from strength to strength with the help of funding sourced by the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP).

Business people are being invited to join the board of the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), to help to help steer the future of an area with an economic output worth over £18 billion.

A company which is helping to revolutionise rocket technology has moved to the Westcott Space Cluster.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) and Buckinghamshire Business First latest Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey shows the first quarter of 2022 brought improved trading conditions and performance for many Bucks businesses,…

Buckinghamshire Skills Hub inspired over 300 students with SEND, at its first SEND Skills Show, which exposed students to a broad range of employers to discover different industry sectors and be inspired!

A new Cycling Test Lab designed to help students develop their engineering skills has been launched at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub (SSEH). This is an extension of their aerodynamic test facility and R&D tools and services offered to sports engineering.

An exciting event highlighting the success of space-related industries at Westcott is being held in July.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) is delighted with the announcement today by Skyports to select Westcott Venture Park as its new home for research & development, training and flight operations.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) and Buckinghamshire Business First are seeking the views of local businesses for the latest Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey, which seeks views in particular about the barriers businesses are facing towards achieving Net Zero emissions.

Buckinghamshire Advantage is delighted with the decision earlier this month by Buckinghamshire Council to give the green light to the outline planning application for the Aylesbury Woodlands development.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) and Buckinghamshire Business First are delighted to partner the Innovate Local South East online event on Thursday 28th April, which aims to inspire local businesses to develop and grow.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) is delighted to announce that full funding has been allocated to ten key projects from the Governments £7.7m Getting Building Fund, helping to boost economic growth in Bucks.

The eagerly anticipated new relief road opened in Beaconsfield today.

The Buckinghamshire Skills Show 2022 was a fitting in-person return for the county’s pre-eminent skills and careers show.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) and Buckinghamshire Business First are delighted to partner with Bucks Skills Hub to launch the second annual Buckinghamshire Local Skills Report.

The Satellite Applications Catapult, in partnership with Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership, is pleased to announce its expansion at Westcott Venture Park due to a £5.7m investment in new facilities.

Aimed at anybody looking for a career’s inspiration, the 2022 Bucks Skills Show is back and promises to be bigger than ever!

Westcott Venture Park’s position as launchpad for the development of drone technology has been further strengthened with the opening of a new Drone Test and Development Centre.