NESST vision achieves regional business recognition for Pro-Vice-Chancellor

Judges at the North East Business Awards have named Professor John Woodward as the Business Person of the Year for Northumberland and Tyneside for his work to develop the new North East Space Skills and Technology Centre at Northumbria University.

Professor Woodward, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) at Northumbria University has been a key figure in driving the development of the £50 million centre, known as NESST, which was announced last year. 

NESST will be a new national space asset that brings together industry and academia to collaborate on internationally significant space research and technological developments and will be a “game-changer” for the UK space economy. 

Putting the UK at the forefront of research and innovation in areas including optical satellite communications, space weather and space-based energy, NESST will lead the way in providing specialist education and training to ensure the UK space sector has the highly skilled workers it needs in the future.

The North East Business Awards, in partnership with Sage UK, celebrate the best in innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and creativity and shine a light on how people and businesses are making a difference in the North East, with the Business Person of the Year category recognising a business owner or leader who has had a major impact on their firm’s success, which may also be delivering benefits to others. 

Delivered in partnership with the UK Space Agency and Lockheed Martin UK Space, NESST is expected to directly support the creation of over 350 jobs and inject over £260 million into the North East economy over the next 30 years, immediately becoming a catalyst for the wider development of the UK space sector in the North East region. 

Professor Woodward said: “NESST is such a significant project for the North East region and I am delighted that the judges have recognised the impact it is set to have.  

“So many people have played a critical role in bringing the plans together, including many colleagues within the University, regional and national business leaders and politicians and our partners at UK Space Agency and Lockheed Martin UK Space.

“As such, I am pleased to accept this award on behalf of everyone involved in this transformative project which has created unprecedented links for North East companies to access the global space market, will train the space workforce of the future and which will bring significant inward investment.” 

Professor Woodward will join the winners from the other two regions:  Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside; and Teesside, to find out who has won the overall regional title at the North East Business Awards dinner in October, at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield. 

The Journal editor Graeme Whitfield – who was part of the judging panel – said: “Once again the entries to the North East Business Awards have been a testament to the quality of companies in this region. It was a pleasure to read about their achievements and the judging panel had some difficult decisions to make. Congratulations to all of our area winners - we’re looking forward to seeing them in October to see who will take the overall regional prizes.” 

Find out more about NESST and how Northumbria is powering the next generation of space innovation by visiting the University’s website.