For more than three centuries, the London Stock Exchange helped bankroll the industries that defined their eras, from the railways that stitched together 19th-century Latin America to the oil and mining conglomerates that powered the 20th century. Now, as the global economy turns skyward, London's financial establishment is preparing to finance what could become its next great industrial chapter: the US$1.8 trillion space economy.
In a landmark pivot for British aerospace, Liz Lloyd, Minister for the Digital Economy, responsible for space, has announced a sweeping restructuring of national space policy, backed by a fresh GBP500 million (approx. US$668 million) investment package. The strategy signals an end to fragmented regional efforts, replaced by a "laser-focused" mission to transform the UK into a specialized, "mission-ready" space power.
As geopolitical tensions ripple through global markets, the 2026 Space-Comm Expo is set to open in London under unusually heightened expectations.
The organizers of Space-Comm Expo Europe have confirmed the final lineup of speakers for what is set to be Europe's largest commercial space gathering, taking place March 4-5 at ExCeL London.
Global investment in the space industry climbed to US$12.4 billion in 2025, surpassing the previous peak of US$10.9 billion set in 2021, according to industry estimates. Seeking to capture a greater share of that growth, Taiwan's national space agency has announced the creation of the island's first space-focused startup accelerator, aimed at lowering barriers to entry and strengthening its position in the global supply chain.
The global space economy is entering a period of rapid expansion, with global space tech private investment reaching a record US$12.4 billion in 2025. Against this backdrop, Taiwan's National Space Organization (TASA) has launched the country's first space accelerator, "TASA iSPARK." Drawing from international ecosystems such as NASA SBIR Ignite and ESA BIC, the initiative aims to help Taiwanese companies leverage their existing supply chain strengths and translate them into space-qualified performance, enabling entry into the global space supply chain.
From self-driving cars and humanoid robots to the architecture of future energy systems, Elon Musk is simultaneously advancing an energy strategy that spans both Earth and orbit.
SpaceX has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission seeking approval to deploy as many as one million satellites, outlining an ambitious plan to build what it calls an "orbital data center system." The network, designed to operate entirely in space, would process large-scale artificial intelligence workloads in orbit, effectively functioning as a vast, distributed supercomputer circling the Earth.
