STAR Dundee

"As academics, we recognise our limitations when it comes to business and we have learned that it’s important to seek the advice and guidance of organisations such as SDI, if we are to reach our full potential as a company.”

- Dr Steve Parks, Managing Director of STAR-Dundee

STAR-Dundee was originally created by the University of Dundee in 2002 to support the increasing number of agencies and companies who were using SpaceWire, an innovative computer network that was developed by the University’s Space Technology Centre, with funding from the European Space Agency (ESA). SpaceWire is used onboard spacecraft to connect instruments, mass memory units, control processors and other onboard electronic equipment. STAR-Dundee supports users of SpaceWire by providing evaluation, development and test equipment, as well as training, design and consultancy services.

Company infrastructure

The company employs nine highly qualified and experienced engineers, six of whom have PhDs. Staff experience covers:

  • System engineering
  • Chip design
  • Instrument development
  • Software development
  • Electronic circuit design

SpaceWire became a standard for data communications onboard satellites and spacecraft in 2003 and is used on many European Space Agency (ESA), NASA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) spacecraft and by research organisations and space industries across the world.

Spacewire technology

Spacewire has been used on major space missions including:

  • Mercury mission BepiColombo
  • Earth Care Sentinel
  • James Webb Space Telescope
  • Lunar Reconnaissance Orbitor
  • GOES-RT
  • SWIFT (NASA)

    Main challenges

    STAR-Dundee has grown steadily over the past nine years and has firmly established itself as the world’s leading authority on SpaceWire technology.

    Dr Steve Parkes, Managing Director of STAR- Dundee, said: “We achieved great success in a relatively short period of time and now wish to identify additional routes to market, which for a group of academics that don’t come from a business background, will present it’s own, unique set of challenges.”

    How Scottish Development International helped

    Since its launch, Scottish Enterprise (SE) has worked with STAR-Dundee to provide a range of staff development and training support. This allowed Dr Parkes and his team to hone their business skills and identify a host of commercialisation opportunities for STAR- Dundee’s technology. The company has also benefited from the Proof of Concept programme and was invited by Scottish Development International (SDI) to attend an aerospace conference in Japan in 2007. STAR- Dundee hopes to engage further with SDI as it works on shaping its future development strategy.

    Lessons learned

    Dr Parkes said: “STAR-Dundee is a truly international business and we have been supported at various stages of our growth by SDI, which is a truly valuable resource."