Space is not just something other nations do – it is something that we do in Northern Ireland and do very well, that’s according to Robert Hill, Director of the Northern Ireland Space Office, when speaking to the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), David Morris MP, during a visit by him to Northern Ireland last week.

The APPG’s job is to raise awareness in Parliament of the importance and opportunities of space-based capabilities to the UK economy, policy making, society and the space community, as well as highlight and promote the benefits from the UK's investment in space and its leading role within the global space economy.

During his visit, Mr David Morris MP, visited both Newry test facilitator, Resonate Testing and award-winning software company, Skytek in Belfast. Tom Mallon, managing director of Resonate Testing was quick to point out that “there is much potential and opportunity within the Northern Irish Space Industry Cluster, whether it’s in upstream or downstream products or services, however we must not be left behind the other nations.”

“I believe there is an excellent prospect to create a commercially viable incubator and realise a commercially successful space industry within Northern Ireland but what is needed is practical and financial support.”

Robert Hill, who is also the Chair of the Northern Ireland Space Leadership Council and the Northern Ireland Space Special Interest Group (NISSIG), hosted by ADS, said, “It was a pleasure to meet Mr Morris MP and discuss the many exciting opportunities for the sector in Northern Ireland. There are many emerging opportunities to upscale Northern Ireland, and I want to do everything in my power to develop the region as a globally recognised place for the space sector, its innovation and creativity, and with companies like Resonate Testing and Skytek, we are doing just that.

He continued; “It is essential, however, for Northern Ireland to be part of the UK Space Strategy and provide proactive input, rather than reacting to a strategy already in place. Access to space has never been better as launch costs get less expensive, the private sector grows and the proliferation of lower cost satellite constellations and mega constellations.

“The next ten years will see an exponential growth in commercial space activities and Northern Ireland has these capabilities to support this global development. Data Analytics and Cyber will be key drivers for the space sector in the next decade with increasing demand for satellites as a service.”

Mr David Morris MP, APPG Chair, said; “It was wonderful to visit Northern Ireland and chat with both Tom [Mallon] and Rita [Malosti] about the ongoing work of Resonate Testing and Skytek. It was very insightful, and I believe that Northern Ireland given its microscopic nature, would be a great test bed for the sector.

“The UK Government is committed to supporting Northern Ireland, and businesses like Resonate Testing and Skytek show the importance of Northern Ireland to the UK, as well as showcasing the world-class talent and expertise that exists.”

Rita Malosti, Head of Space Activities, Skytek, said, “I was delighted to brief David Morris MP on the activities of Skytek. We’ve been operating for over 20 years and as a software development company, specialising in the space sector, we’ve many key partners. With a highly skilled and innovative team we’ve a proven track record and we are now looking to invest further in R&D for an Earth Observation centre, alongside our many products.”

Invest Northern Ireland also contributed to the visit and gave Mr Morris MP an overview of the space sector in Northern Ireland. This included showcasing the local companies and universities that are involved in global space programmes through innovation on the ground and in orbit; next generation lunar missions and deep space missions; and the aspiration to double Northern Ireland’s space sector by 2030.

Dr Leslie Orr, ADS(NI) added; “Northern Ireland has a growing space sector with great capabilities in both downstream and upstream. I must thank Mr Morris MP for visiting Resonate Testing and Skytek to gain a better understanding of this sector and its challenges. The excellent contribution that both these companies make, along with many others, show how important this sector is to both the UK and Northern Ireland economies.”

Next up in our 'Meet the Team' feature is our Quality Engineer, Ian Stewart. Find out more about Ian below:

Tell us more about your position as Quality Engineer:

I have a reasonably broad remit taking in Quality, Business Systems and Customer Support.

Length of time working for the company

Just over six months

What is your background?

I graduated in electrical and electronic engineering, but started work in Quality Assurance for a telecoms and automotive electronics manufacturing company. I became Quality Manager, looking after the quality management system, but also BS and CECC product qualification approvals.

I then managed an environmental test and validation laboratory in a global automotive electronics manufacturing company for 18 years.

Favourite part of the job?

I am enjoying working in the Resonate team. There is a real “can do” attitude and customer focus. I’m still learning about different parts of the business.

What does a typical day involve?

I’m not sure there is a typical day at Resonate! Work to date has included planning for development and extension of  Resonate’s test capabilities into new areas, reviewing management system processes and operation, preparing training material, reviewing customer test requirements, as well as some hands on testing support.

The common factor is working with the Resonate team to deliver for the customer.

What opportunities have you been given as a member of the team at Resonate Testing?

In a relatively short time with the company I’ve been able to support in the ISO 9001 annual surveillance audit, and I’ve also had the opportunity to progress the company to achieving ISTA Certified Laboratory status for packaging testing.

How do you like to relax outside of work?

Saturday mornings, I do Parkrun – I got past the 100 milestone in January.

I play the clarinet and have recently joined Lisburn Community Orchestra. I also enjoy playing the guitar and singing.

I volunteer with Scouts, and have carried out quite a few roles over the years.

THE Minister of State for Northern Ireland, Conor Burns MP visited Newry based testing company, Resonate Testing on Wednesday 20^th April 2022 to engage and gain a detailed understanding of the company’s work, the sectors it services and the ongoing challenges it faces, as well as its future plans for growth.

Established in 2016, Resonate Testing found a niche in the testing services market, offering a range of high-quality testing and certification services across all industrial sectors, which has driven significant growth and demand for the testing facilitator’s services.

Having recently diversified into the space sector, Managing Director of Resonate Testing, Tom Mallon, sees huge potential and opportunity for SMEs looking to enter the space industry across the UK. Northern Ireland is engaging in a Northern Ireland Space Strategy to create a firm and realistic foundation from which to grow the space sector, and enhance the region’s standing in the space community.

Following the visit, Tom said, “Resonate Testing was delighted to host the Minister of State for Northern Ireland and have the opportunity to show him our highly innovative testing facility, meet some of our expert team and give a demonstration of high shock and fire testing, and how we integrate practical solutions with key software to deliver results to our customers.

“We explained to the Minister about the many capabilities that we have from fire, flammability and packaging to shock, environmental and climatic testing, and the opportunities that are available to our company within the space sector throughout the UK. It is important that we maximise these opportunities and realise the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda, otherwise the region may be left behind its British counterparts, if support is not provided.“

Following the visit, Minister of State Conor Burns MP said; “It was wonderful to visit Resonate Testing and hear about the great success of a family run business, seeing how alive its entrepreneurial spirit is and innovative in its approach.

“The space sector in the UK is going from strength to strength, with the UK Space Industry recently reporting that the size of the space industry in Northern Ireland has tripled in the past year.

“The UK Government is committed to supporting Northern Ireland, and businesses like Resonate Testingshow the importance of Northern Ireland to the UK, showcasing the world-class talent and expertise that exists here.”

Resonate Testing’s customer base ranges geographically from Europe, USA and Brazil, to Canada and Japan, as well as across the Island of Ireland and the UK. During the global pandemic, the company minimised any disruption to services thanks to the introduction of its innovative and forward-thinking high quality video stream service in 2019, which was recognised with a platinum level Innovate NI Innovation Accreditation.