Welcoming the investment, Bill Montgomery, Invest NI Director of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, said: “3DEO NI is a unique business, operating in a highly innovative technology area. It is one of the first companies in Northern Ireland to embark on a significant investment as the result of opportunities that will flow out of the space sector. Supporting this project aligns with our strategy to become a globally recognised region for space sector innovation and creativity. 3DEO NI is working towards positioning itself to capitalise on the new global opportunities that space can enable.”
3DEO is using Kx technology for high value earth observation. It is recruiting specialist IT professionals, in graduate and experienced roles. The jobs include Space System Engineers, Satellite Data Consultants and Business Development roles. Half of the 33 new jobs are already in place.
Andy Macpherson at 3DEO NI, said: “Earth observation data has the potential to offer advantageous insight for a range of sectors. We are working towards developing products and solutions that will enable better informed, real-time decision making in the future for defence, governments and the civic markets. Invest NI’s support is enabling us to build a workforce with the technical skills and industry contacts to help make our ambition a reality.”
The UK Space Agency has been set the ambitious target of quadrupling UK revenues to £40 billion by 2032 and acknowledges that can only be achieved by the entry of new companies into this sector.
Earlier this year, 3DEO was chosen as a ‘One to Watch’ start-up business at the 2018 Data Space conference in Scotland and also won the Space for Sustainable Living, SME Challenge, sponsored by Airbus Space, Digital Catapult and Invest NI.
Invest NI has offered 3DEO NI over £700,000 to support its development and recruitment activities.