Stirling to play key role in UK Space Agency funded water quality monitoring project

The University of Stirling will play a leading role in a major new international satellite project, funded by the UK Space Agency, that is dedicated to monitoring water quality from space.

AquaWatch AUK has been awarded £479,000 through the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund, further reinforcing the University’s position at the forefront of earth observation science. It is one of 23 projects to be funded through the programme.

Stirling’s specific role is to develop a system to accurately detect nuisance plankton blooms and pollution events from space. This builds on the University's decade-long history of pioneering the use of satellite data to monitor inland and coastal waters.

Professor Evangelos Spyrakos, Professor of Earth Observation at University’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, said: “Water quality is a defining challenge of our generation, and this funding is a powerful acknowledgment that Stirling is home to world-leading expertise in satellite water science, enabling us to turn satellite pixels into actionable insights.

“Our work in this UK-Australia partnership will provide the next generation of satellite data that are immediately useful to governments and water managers. This reinforces Scotland’s position at the forefront of the green and space economies.”

Professor Evangelos Spyrakos of the University of Stirling.

The University of Stirling will work alongside a consortium of leading UK and Australian partners, including Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), Pixalytics Ltd, Assimila Ltd, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

The project will provide unprecedented high-resolution data on water quality. This advanced technology will allow researchers to monitor even smaller lakes and rivers, extending coverage to unprecedented levels.

Funding was granted as part of the second round of projects from the successful International Bilateral Fund (IBF), representing a £6.5 million boost for UK companies and universities collaborating internationally on space innovation with partners in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Lithuania, and the USA.

Leading the way

Space Minister Liz Lloyd said: “This £6.5 million boost shows Britain leading the way in space innovation. From improving mobile coverage to monitoring Earth’s forests, these 23 projects will create jobs, strengthen partnerships with our allies, and keep the UK at the cutting edge of space technology. It’s an exciting time for our space sector and great news for British businesses reaching for the stars.”

From autonomous 3D printing and lunar agriculture to orbital threat detection, biotech manufacturing, medical research and deep space radar, these collaborations span life sciences, communications, in-orbit servicing, Earth observation and advanced materials. They showcase the breadth of expertise across the UK’s vibrant space sector, which employs more than 55,000 people and generates £18.6 billion in annual revenue.

The space funding boost, announced during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney earlier this week, demonstrates the UK’s commitment to international partnerships and a wide range of areas where the space sector can contribute to economic growth.

As set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy, the UK Space Agency is increasing bilateral research & development funding with international allies. The IBF is a critical mechanism for this, providing targeted support for UK-led international collaborations and building capabilities and partnerships across the global space sector.

Cutting-edge

The announcement follows the agreement between NASA and the UK Space Agency to develop AI models to support future exploration missions, under the Transatlantic Tech Prosperity Deal, as well as the successful launch of the NASA IMAP mission on 23 September, for which UK scientists contributed a key instrument.

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “These new projects span the full spectrum of UK space expertise, from telecommunications, propulsion and environmental monitoring to cutting-edge technologies that could change how we develop treatments for deadly diseases using microgravity.

“By combining home-grown talent with global expertise, we want to strengthen our capabilities, support growth, and ensure the UK remains at the forefront of space innovation.”

The funding announcement was welcomed by partners in the project.

UKspace Executive Director, Colin Baldwin, said: “The UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund is going from strength to strength, providing a stimulus for the UK’s space sector to forge new partnerships with organisations around the globe, covering such a broad range of space interests. We are pleased to see so many of UKspace’s members and partners involved in the selected projects, enabling them to bring their world-class expertise to these exciting collaborations.”

Collaboration

Clive Oates, Head of SSTL Australia, commented: “AquaWatch exemplifies how international collaboration can address shared global challenges, fostering innovation and economic growth. This initiative strengthens the UK and Australia’s leadership in EO technology and paves the way for scalable, sustainable solutions to water quality monitoring worldwide.”

Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS, representing businesses in aerospace, defence, security and space, added: “Advancements in space technology make our world smaller, our society more innovative and our lives more prosperous. We are delighted to see the IBF enabling international partnerships to that end. ADS has worked extensively to champion the UK’s thriving space sector in key strategic markets such as Japan and Lithuania. We look forward to working in close collaboration with government to build on this important work further.”