Alan Cross

After co-founding the Northern Space Consortium CIC to promote the economic opportunity of the space sector in the north of England, Alan was appointed by Science and Technology Facilities Council (UKRI-STFC) as the European Space Agency (ESA) Business Applications Regional Ambassador, supporting the commercial uptake of space applications across North Wales and the North West of England. During this time, he co-authored the North West Space Strategy alongside UKRI-STFC colleagues. With the formation of the North West Space Cluster, Alan was appointed as its manager and is now responsible for driving the growth and diversification of the space economy in North West England. He also plays a key role in 'Space North', a collaborative initiative uniting the North West Space Cluster, Space Hub Yorkshire, and Space North East England, to build an internationally competitive pan-Northern space economy. In addition, Alan is now the Programme Manager for the UK Beyond Earth Network (UK-BEN), supporting the UK’s participation in the in-space economy by strengthening networks and catalysing activity around in-space manufacturing and R&D, with a focus on life sciences and advanced materials, as well as in-space logistics and services, particularly on technology development and adoption. With a professional background as in the performing arts, a role he maintains alongside his work in the space industry, Alan brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic insight to his role in the UK’s evolving space sector.