The Space Partnership Board is delighted to announce the appointment of Tim Bestwick as its new Independent Chair. Tim brings a wealth of commercialisation experience from chairing the Harwell Campus Joint Venture and at UK Atomic Energy Authority, where he is both Deputy CEO and Chief Development Officer.
The Space Partnership brings together industry, academia and government to identify shared priorities and agree collective action to realise the ambition in the National Space Strategy. The non-voting Independent Chair ensures that the Space Partnership Board operates in a fair and transparent way. The appointment was made following a selection process led by a representative from each stakeholder group.
At the Space Partnership Board meeting on 27 February, the outgoing Chair, Graham Peters, handed over to the new Chair.
Professor Katharine Robson Brown, Co-Chair of Space Academic Network (SPAN), thanked the outgoing Chair. “On behalf of the whole of the Space Partnership Board, I would like to thank you for your energy and enthusiasm in bringing stakeholders together to establish the Space Partnership. You have expertly guided the Board through the initial phases as it evolved from the Space Growth Partnership.”
Graham Peters, outgoing Chair, responded: “It has been an honour and a pleasure to Chair the Space Partnership Board having been involved in its predecessors for many years. I would like to thank current and previous members of the Board for your support. I am delighted that together, we secured the funding for an independent core team and have created a true partnership across the sector.”
John Hanley, Chair of UKspace, the trade association, commented: “The Selection Panel was delighted to see the strength of applications received and thanks all who took the time to apply. We are all looking forward to the next phase of the Space Partnership as it brings the sector together to deliver on the agreed collective sector priorities.”
Kathy Bass, Deputy Director, Department for Science Innovation & Technology, said: “The Space Partnership is a collaborative endeavour and the Chair is an important role to ensure clear direction as we work to deliver the ambition set out in the National Space Strategy. I look forward to working with Tim.”
Tim Bestwick, new Chair of the Space Partnership Board said: “The space sector provides inspiration in so many ways, whether to young people considering STEM careers or businesses that can benefit from space-derived technology and applications. It is a privilege to be appointed as Chair of the Space Partnership and I look forward to working with Joanna Hart, the Space Partnership Director, and all the Board members in this exciting role.”