A formal ceremony took place to mark construction getting underway on the £100 million-plus Space Park Leicester scheme.
Guests including Government minister Chris Skidmore attended the ground-breaking ceremony on the site, which is next to the National Space Centre, to the north of the city.
When finished, it is hoped Space Park Leicester could contribute in the region of £750 million a year to the economy, becoming a world leading manufacturer of satellites and a centre for processing the data they provide.
It could lead to 2,500 jobs.
Aerospace and technology companies such as Hewlett Packard, Airbus and Amazon have already signed up, and lead partner the University of Leicester hopes it could become a catalyst for other multi-nationals to bring millions of pounds of investment to the city.
The first stage will see an innovation, research and incubation facility for academics and private companies, mainly to make sense of the data sent down from satellites orbiting the earth.
Work is yet to start on the second stage – state-of-the-art, robot and AI assisted laboratory facilities for research and development into low-cost satellite production.
The university is working with local, national and international partners including Leicester City Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership.
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Chris Skidmore, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, joined politicians, university leaders and business leaders at the launch event, including Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, and University of Leicester president and vice-chancellor Professor Nishan Canagarajah.
Prof Canagarajah said: “This is a landmark achievement for the 海角视频, for our city and our University.
“I am delighted that work has started on the site and look forward to seeing Space Park Leicester flourish and come to life.
“This extraordinary project will open a wealth of invaluable opportunities in the key space data and technology sector.
“It is a real step into the future and will secure the University of Leicester’s spot as a world-leading centre for space research and development, building on our rich heritage as leaders in this field.
“I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to all involved.”
Kevin Harris chairs the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, which allocated almost £8.2 million from its Local Growth Fund to support the development of phase one of the Space Park scheme.
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He said: “I’m very excited to see the launch of the next phase of Space Park Leicester.
“The project is on the cusp of bringing huge economic benefits to our region, as Leicester becomes the centre of the space industry and its applications in the Midlands, complementing the other space clusters nationally.
“The world-class facilities that will be on offer for start-ups and SMEs will make the site a hugely attractive destination for business, research and innovation.
“Space Park Leicester is as pioneering as the research it will host.
“The vision for new R&D facilities, pop-up labs and business hosting is the result of a true collaboration between academia, business and government – both local and national.
“The end goal at Space Park Leicester is to harness the space industry for the benefit of our region, and for the country as a whole.
“I’m very proud that the LLEP has been involved from the start in supporting this fantastic project.”
The longer term plans include a third phase, called the Low Cost Access to Space (LoCAS) satellite manufacturing facility for the manufacture of mid-range satellites.
Leicester West MP Liz Kendall, who was also among the attendees, said: “I am so proud to join the university, council and all the other partners who have made today possible.
“I am a long-standing champion of the Space Park and its aim of bringing thousands of high skill, high wage jobs to our city.
“There is huge potential to develop the role of space science in our economy even further.
“I will continue to press the Government for the investment and research space science needs and to support our Space Park’s future stages of development.
“I will also be working closely with the university and local employers to ensure my constituents benefit from the businesses and jobs the park will create in years ahead.”