At the Higgs Centre for Innovation, we provide access to purpose-built laboratories allowing start-ups and SMEs direct, affordable, and flexible access to cutting-edge equipment and expertise, eliminating the need to develop, buy or pay prohibitively high prices to use research and development capabilities. 

Our state-of-the-art facilities are designed for the small satellite sector. Test small satellites, or subsystems for larger satellites, for space readiness – in appropriate clean-room environments, with the right equipment, all in one place. 

Our recently refurbished facilities offer more equipment with a greater range of testing capabilities. Our test facilities now include: 

• Vibration testing – Ideal for launch compatibility testing for satellite components, sub systems and entire nanosats. Our capabilities include shock, sine vibration and random vibration testing. 

• Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) – Ensure your satellite subsystems won’t interfere with each other, or be affected by others, by testing designs early using our EMC test capability. Ideally suited to development testing and pre-compliance testing. 

• Thermal testing – Our environmental chamber has a temperature range from –70°C to +180°C. Ideal for thermal cycle (reliability) testing or elevated temperature (functional) testing at component or subsystem level.  

• General and Specialised Cryostats – We have a wide range of cryostats designed for maximum flexibility, suitable for space sub-system or Nanosatellite testing as well as vacuum compatibility and component-level testing.  

• Vacuum Bakeout Oven – Our fully automated, high-vacuum oven is ideal for space/flight hardware, connectors, CubeSats, or any other high vacuum compatibility testing. Temperature ranges from 20°C above ambient to +220°C. 

• Electronic & Radio Frequency Testing – We have a variety of signal and arbitrary waveform generators, amplifiers, oscilloscopes and analysers available depending on requirements.  

• SpaceWire Testing – We have full SpaceWire electronic communications testing facilities, populated with a comprehensive suite of test equipment from both STAR-Dundee and 4Links. 

All of our test facilities are in suitable cleanrooms at Class 10,000 (ISO 7), or clean labs. 

Big data visualisation facility

Big data visualisation tools are gaining more and more traction within industry and can provide numerous benefits to business owners who need to communicate complexed information effectively to stakeholders and customers. 

​Our 8K, 7.5m wide data visualisation canvas at the Higgs Centre for Innovation is available to businesses for use and offers a sophisticated integrated audio and visual capability, together with 4K broadcast-grade cameras if required. 

Access to skills

Students training in traditional physics have valuable problem-solving and analytical skills as well as detailed theoretical knowledge on modern data science including: modern programming,; statistical methods,; data exploration tools, and machine learning. Tap into this skills base through the data-analytics PhD students based at the Higgs Centre.