STAR-Dundee – University of Dundee spin out

STAR-Dundee provides a comprehensive range of test and development equipment, chip designs and IP cores to the world’s space agencies and international aerospace industry.  They are world-leading experts in SpaceWire and SpaceFibre technology and their customers include many blue-chip companies across the world including the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. 

Started in 2002, the company was born out of the Space Technology Centre at the University of Dundee.  

As founders, Stuart Mills, now CEO, and Professor Steve Parkes, now CTO, saw an opportunity to commercialise the technology they were developing from research.  The company remains based in Dundee, with a wholly owned subsidiary in Barcelona, and has grown to employ a staff of 29 employees. STAR-Dundee has taken on no external investment and has grown organically, using profits to fund growth. It is an employee-owned company with more than 50% of the shareholding owned by an employee ownership trust. 

The founders continue to lead the company, with both the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer roles held by founders.  The company also continues to be R&D focussed and led the research, technical development, and standardisation of the next generation of SpaceWire technology, SpaceFibre