Mr Hamilton began his career with Rolls-Royce plc in the late Eighties, going on to work for JP Morgan and other Fortune 100 companies in London and New York, is the managing director and founder of New York-based venture capital specialist Sustainable Alpha, chair of the New York GlobalScot Advisory Board, and has advised and invested in a number of businesses and startups across multiple industry sectors over the last twenty-five years.

Dr Andy Campbell, CEO and founder of Scottish Space Network, said: “Ross’s appointment marks a significant milestone in our mission to propel Scotland’s space sector to new heights on both the national and international stage.

“By focusing on three foundational pillars – support, funding, and opportunity - we have a vision to ignite and advance Scotland’s giant leap to the stars, and Ross will help us make this leap.”

Mr Campbell added: “Ross will be instrumental in developing insights on high-potential space companies and assisting with the formation of funding and investment solutions to drive the sector forward.

“His strategic insight and operational expertise will be invaluable as we continue to support the Scottish space sector’s rapid growth.”

Founded in 2023, the Scottish Space Network has rapidly become a driving force for Scotland’s fast-growing space industry. Overall, Scotland’s space sector is projected to achieve revenue of around £4 billion within the next six years, creating over 12,000 jobs by 2030, taking the national headcount to approximately 20,000.

Mr Hamilton said: “I’m thrilled to join the Scottish Space Network at such a pivotal time for the space sector in Scotland and its potential to achieve a leading position on the international stage. We have a unique opportunity to drive collaboration across the broader space industry and ecosystem.”

He added: “My focus will now be on helping to drive investment to support the sector’s growth, unlock new potential, and to make an impact on companies and individuals that can make Scotland a global leader in space innovation.”

The Scottish Space Network is set to commence a global survey of companies in the space sector and ecosystem later this year. Mr Hamilton commented: “We want to identify high performing, innovative, and high potential space tech and space adjacent companies for the purpose of creating investment deal flow for investors, and to seek world-class partnership opportunities within the space sector.”

The Scottish Space Network has also announced that accountancy firm Johnston Carmichael, legal firm Burness Paull, innovation and training consultancy Eureka!Europe, and international property specialist Marks & Clerk are its first corporate founding partners.

The Scottish Space Network will feature at Space-Comm Expo Scotland at the SEC in Glasgow between 11-12 September.