Ireland's Beyond the Horizon Report Highlights Space Workforce Skills Gap and Growth Opportunities

The Beyond the Horizon report, commissioned by Ireland's Department of Further and Higher Education, identifies skills deficits and necessary actions to grow Ireland's space workforce. Contributors include the Irish Space Association and Space Industry Skillnet, with the report launched at a UCD event.

It highlights Ireland's strengths in engineering, software, and advanced manufacturing while noting a growing skills gap in specialist engineering, AI, project management, and regulatory knowledge. Recruitment challenges persist for mid-career experts due to competition from other sectors and talent constraints.

The report calls for improved educational pathways and professional upskilling to create a sustainable talent pipeline. Recent developments in Ireland's space sector include Suas Aerospace's partnership with T-minus Engineering for a commercial rocket launch and Celtonn's involvement with the Cassini accelerator.