Accusing the UK government of having a blind spot in space funding, Marcol Computer Systems Ltd has formed a new Spanish company, ACSoft SA, with Spanish industrial group Abengoa SA. Cray Electronics Plc’s Marcol has 49% of the new Madrid-based company, Abengoa 50%, and Abengoa’s defence subsidiary, Sainco SA, the remaining 1%. Marcol sought a […]
Accusing the UK government of having a blind spot in space funding, Marcol Computer Systems Ltd has formed a new Spanish company, ACSoft SA, with Spanish industrial group Abengoa SA. Cray Electronics Plc’s Marcol has 49% of the new Madrid-based company, Abengoa 50%, and Abengoa’s defence subsidiary, Sainco SA, the remaining 1%. Marcol sought a European partner after increasing disillusionment with the UK government’s attitude to space research and projects; the company cites the UK’s withdrawal from the European Space Agency’s Hermes space shuttle, and the reduction in spending on the Columbus project, as two developments that have severely restricted ESA contracts placed with UK companies. In contrast, Marcol is attracted by Spain’s attitude to space development; it is a major funder of the ESA, and has its own independent space programme. Marcol also aims to establish a greater European presence, capitalise on the Single European market, and be responsive to the emergence of standards in space technology; Marcol hopes the formation of ACSoft will give it an advantage over its main UK rival in the development of software for space applications, Logica Plc. In telecommunications, Marcol management wants the Spanish venture to help win ESA contracts for developing new wide area networks at control centres, and for connecting ESA’s local area networks with an X25 network. The creation of the new company follows considerable collaboration between Marcol and Abengoa in recent years, which has included communications protocol simulation and remote payload monitoring. Aldermaston, Berkshire-based Marcol is also looking to expand its Communications Group, set up three months ago; the company wants the non-space communications sector to represent around 40% of group turnover by 1994; space related business now accounts for over 90% of turnover.
