Moray MSP Richard Lochhead, the minister for innovation, small business and trade, attended the Space Economy Conference hosted by The Economist magazine in Los Angeles. The trip cost the taxpayer £11,754.81. During the visit, Lochhead delivered a 15-minute keynote speech promoting Scotland's potential for the space sector. He had meetings with 13 space industry executives and companies, including Space Forge, SpacePharma, RRE Ventures, Space Capital, Vast, Bayer Crop Science, Orbotic Systems, InnovPlantProtect, Viasat, Universal Hydrogen, ABL Space Systems, Innova Nanojet Technologies, and Launchpad. He also attended various events and receptions, including a dinner sponsored by Starburst Aerospace and a roundtable event about venture capital in the space industry. The trip aimed to tap into the US space economy and promote Scotland's spaceport projects. The Scottish Government defended the visit, stating that it provided an opportunity to foster trade links and create inward investment opportunities for Scotland. [3bba36c6]