A state-of-the-art conference centre, designed to support the UK space industry, has opened at the Harwell Campus.

ESA’s new Magali Vaissiere Conference Centre, alongside its European satellite and space telecommunications centre (ECSAT), provides adaptable meeting facilities, a conference hall for 300 people, meeting rooms, breakout areas, exhibition space and rooms for interpreters.

The centre, named after ESA’s former director of telecommunications activities and head of ECSAT, is intended to support collaboration between the campus’ life sciences, quantum energy and space clusters, and will serve as a rallying point for the UK space community.

Josef Aschbacher, director general of ESA, said: “The brand new facilities add to ESA’s growing footprint in Oxfordshire, and exemplify our excellent cooperation with the UK, as we work together to advance Europe’s ambitions in space.

“Magali has built up ECSAT to a modern centre that combines space technology and business. This conference centre deserved to be named after her.”

Stuart Grant, chief executive of Harwell Campus, said: “ESA’s new state-of-the-art conference centre and event space is an exciting and welcome addition to the campus. As a leading science campus known for world-leading breakthroughs, the centre further bolsters the campus’ ability to bring together scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors from across the globe, forging new partnerships and propelling advancements across space, quantum, life sciences and energy sectors.”

Over the next two years Harwell plans to build an additional 500,000 sq ft of new laboratory and R&D buildings across the campus. They will include Tech Foundry, a 220,000 sq ft advanced manufacturing space and the Linear Accelerator Building, a landmark laboratory building for starting and scaling science organisations.

Image (l-r): Meganne Christian, reserve astronaut & exploration commercialisation lead for the UK Space Agency, Nick Appleyard, ESA’s acting head of ECSAT, Josef Aschbacher, director general of ESA,  Chloe Smith, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Magali Vaissiere, former director of telecommunications and integrated applications at the European Space Agency, Lord Willetts, chair of UK Space Agency board and Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency.

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