The UK Space Agency has announced £3.4 million of new funding for 10 leading-edge projects including a Hampshire-based initiative monitoring the impact of climate change on Mongolian agriculture.
These projects back UK academics and will develop solutions to global challenges that will open up new opportunities for UK space expertise to help countries overseas to deal with myriad problems.
They include the Monitoring Agricultural Productivity for Climate Adaptation – Mongolia (MAPCAM), led by Remote Sensing Applications Consultants (RSAC) Ltd, based in Alresford.
Mongolia experiences extremes of climate and has already witnessed above-average impacts from climate change on domestically grown agricultural crops.
MAPCAM will develop information services based on satellite data to monitor in-season production of cereals and other arable crops across the whole country, contributing to Mongolia’s policy of self-sufficiency by providing better information to support policy formulation and the prescription of appropriate interventions for food security and climate change resilience.
From flooding to climate change, around the world people continue to be affected by crises that are having a profound impact on their countries’ economies and their lives.
These 10 new projects have the potential to provide solutions to the world’s biggest development problems by using the latest and most high-tech space technologies such as satellites, and help improve millions of people’s lives in developing countries.
The £3.4 million funding comes from the UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme (IPP), which is designed to use UK space expertise in satellite technology and data services to deliver ground-breaking solutions to real-world problems across the globe. Projects aim to help developing countries while building effective partnerships that can lead to growth opportunities for the UK space sector.
This announcement comes as a new report is published, evaluating the impact of existing IPP projects.
From 1 April 2024, the responsibility for LEP functions across the Enterprise M3 LEP region has transferred to Hampshire County Council and Surrey County Council.
The Enterprise M3 Board met for the last time in March 2024 and Enterprise M3 LEP is no longer operating as an organisation.
For any enquiries relating to economic development across the counties of Hampshire and Surrey, please visit the Hampshire County Council website and Business Surrey respectively.
Please note that Enterprise M3 LEP staff have transferred to Hampshire County Council to continue to deliver services and activities in Hampshire, including the Growth Hub, the Careers Hub, work on key business sectors, and trade and investment.
They can be contacted at economic.development@hants.gov.uk.
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