The British Affiliation of Distant Sensing Firms letter to – sUAS Information – The Enterprise of Drones

George Freeman MP
Minister for Science, Analysis and Innovation,
Division for Enterprise, Vitality and Industrial Technique,
1 Victoria Avenue,
London SW1H 0ET

Pricey Mr Freeman,

Individuals working within the British space-based Earth Commentary business are in imminent hazard of shedding their jobs due to the continuing uncertainty across the UK’s continued membership of the European Union’s Copernicus programme, the ensuing discount in our involvement in ESA’s growth of the subsequent technology of Sentinels and the resultant diminishing affect over different EU establishments, such because the European Setting Company.

To cite certainly one of our members who has suffered the affect of this first-hand; “We stands out as the first, however we actually received’t be the final”. It follows that the longer this ambiguity exists, the larger would be the lack of so many British staff to our scientific and industrial economies.

My function as Chair of the British Affiliation of Distant Sensing Firms (BARSC) is to characterize and promote the pursuits of our member corporations. Therefore this letter asking you for clarification of a state of affairs that has dragged on for too lengthy.

As you instructed the BBC: “[We want space to be] the primary space wherein we display very clearly that the UK may need left the European political union, however we’re not leaving the European scientific and cultural and analysis group. Removed from it.

“The truth is, we need to make it possible for publish our withdrawal from the EU, we turn out to be a fair stronger participant in that analysis group. I discussed Copernicus, particularly – we see it as an important a part of the ecosystem.”

You might be proper: membership of Copernicus is a crucial a part of so many British corporations’ ecosystems and is key to their industrial survival. With out affect over the event of Sentinel information, the liberty to bid on {hardware} contracts and the flexibility to supply the high-skilled companies of their employees to EU tasks, many UK corporations will merely stop to exist as operations are moved to the continent.

Once more, proof comes from a member firm who not too long ago needed to, and I quote: “switch all of the UK exercise to our [EU-based] firm, to win the contract”.

It has been reported that our membership of the ‘European scientific and cultural and analysis group’ has turn out to be entangled in wider, post-Brexit negotiations (some have reported that it’s now a ‘bargaining chip’) however on behalf of the membership, I need to ask; how have we allowed that to occur?

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has stated innumerable occasions that he desires the UK to maneuver “in direction of a excessive wage, excessive talent, excessive productiveness and – sure – thereby low tax economic system” however right here is an business that may lead the world in local weather change mitigation, assist the feeding of a nation and supply enhanced nationwide safety, getting used as a political pawn?

In your reply, please are you able to set out your very newest pondering close to the three areas I’ve listed in my opening paragraph and clarify the timetable for transferring this case to a conclusion.

When can we anticipate to know if our nation will proceed to be a member of some of the essential scientific programmes ever created? Our business wants readability, now greater than ever.

Yours sincerely,

Alistair Maclenan
Chair, BARSC.
[email protected]