Press Release: UK Space Agency Import Export Pathway Selected Frontier Space to support International Growth
- Mar 3
- 3 min read
Nottingham, February 2026 - Frontier Space has been accepted onto the inaugural cohort of the Accelerating Investment Export Pathway (AIEP), a pilot program delivered by the UK Space Agency and supported by KPMG, designed to help high-growth UK space companies accelerate international market entry and export readiness.
The program will provide Frontier Space with structured support across market selection, export capability development, and investment readiness, as the company continues to scale its SpaceLab and XSB platform and expand engagement with global pharmaceutical and life-science customers. Given the complexity of transporting biological samples across borders and navigating import and export regulations, particularly for materials processed in space, Frontier Space joined the program to strengthen regulatory preparedness and build long-term resilience into its commercial operations.
Frontier Space’s selection reflects its recent technical and commercial progress, including two consecutive orbital demonstration missions validating core elements of its microgravity research infrastructure. In early 2025, Frontier Space partnered with ATMOS Space Cargo to fly SpaceLab Mark 1, a fully automated “lab-in-a-box” system, focused on biological experimentation, microfluidics validation, and sample return. More recently, the company completed its EGGS-2 (Early Gen micro-Gravity Service) orbital campaign, working with Azenta Life Sciences and Orbital Paradigm to further mature spacecraft integration, system activation, and environmental monitoring for future pharmaceutical research missions.
Dr. Aqeel Shamsul, CEO of Frontier Space, said:
“Being selected for the Accelerating Investment Export Pathway comes at an important point in our growth. We completed our relocation to the Medical Technology Innovation Facility. One of the reasons was to access the East Midlands Freeport, UK’s only inland freeport. This allows us to leverage its central location to connect major industrial hubs. This program strengthens our ability to navigate global markets and complex trade environments. Having demonstrated our technology through multiple orbital missions, we are now focused on translating that progress into sustainable international partnerships and commercially robust operations. One of our goals in this program is to understand the process to import manufactured products in space back to the UK with the support of experts at KPMG.”
The AIEP program kicked off in a virtual onboarding session in January, and it will be followed by a series of workshops hosted both online and at KPMG’s Canary Wharf offices. The program will also include supported participation at Space Comm Europe in London, providing Frontier Space with additional opportunities to engage with international customers, partners, and investors.
Antonia Yendell, Head of the Space Ecosystem team at the UK Space Agency, said:
"Through the Accelerating Investment Export Pathway, developed by UK Space Agency and supported by KPMG, we are providing early-stage space companies with the skills and confidence to enter global markets, accelerating export growth and opening new international opportunities. This support ensures UK businesses are ready to compete and thrive overseas, driving the long-term growth, resilience and global competitiveness of the UK space sector."
Portia Bircher, Accelerating Business Growth Lead at UK Space Agency, said:
"The AIEP programme will deliver interactive sessions from January to March 2026, utilising a hybrid format and leveraging KPMG’s extensive expertise in export and international engagement. In addition, the programme will feature supported participation at Space Comm Europe in London, offering Frontier Space further opportunities to connect with international customers, partners, and investors."
About UK Space Agency
The UK Space Agency is an executive agency of the UK Government responsible for the United Kingdom’s civil space programme. It supports the government to boost UK prosperity, advance scientific knowledge, and protect both the planet and outer space.
UK Space Agency
Portia Bircher
About Frontier Space
Frontier Space is a UK-based space-biotech company developing platform technologies to unlock pharmaceutical research and in-space biomanufacturing for the emerging commercial space industry. Its SpaceLab and XSB platforms are designed to provide scalable, flexible infrastructure for life-science research in orbit.
Media Contact
Frontier Space
Anjali Sanjay
Frontier Space Technologies Ltd
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