£18million investment in Forres-based Orbex to create more than 200 jobs in the Moray and Highland area
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SPECIALIST engineers based in Forres have announced private investment of £18million which could see more than 200 jobs created in Moray and the Highlands.
The funding from the UK's most active investment company, BGF, and one of the largest venture capitalists in Europe, Octopus Ventures, will also see space rocket builder Orbex through to their first launch from Sutherland spaceport in 2022.
An Orbex spokesman confirmed the company is taking its first steps towards building a new 5000sqm headquarters and production facility at its site on Forres Enterprise Park, a facility roughly four or five times the size of the existing one.
He said: "There will be increased job opportunities and diverse economic development in the region.
"Orbex has just started the recruitment process for 26 jobs. These will of course be highly technical, but there will also be more operationally-focused roles coming too, covering typical business functions such as finance, marketing and admin.
"As the company starts to scale up for full launch vehicle production and operations, Orbex will hopefully offer 200 plus new jobs in the Highlands region over the coming years."
There are over 50 employees and contractors employed at Orbex at present, but not all of them are based in Forres.
Current staff are working on various technical aspects of building a rocket, from engine design and testing to structure, avionics, guidance systems, spaceport design and more.
The spokesman added: "We feel very at home in Forres and the support that we've seen from the local community has been great.
"We've already got several Forres Mechanics supporters in the company.
"As we scale up the business, we would encourage the community to keep an eye on the job opportunities on our website."
Developed as an environmentally sustainable launch system, the Orbex Prime rocket uniquely uses bio-propane, a renewable biofuel that cuts CO2 emissions by 90 per cent compared to traditional kerosene-based rocket fuels.
Recoverable and re-usable, Orbex Prime is intended to leave no debris in the ocean or in orbit around the Earth.
Orbex has already confirmed six commercial satellite launch contracts, with the first launches expected in 2022.
The company’s preferred launch site is Sutherland spaceport, which was granted planning permission in mid-August.
