Implementation of interaction

The SPACECONOMY project is built around continuous, structured interaction with stakeholders at local, national, and international levels, ensuring that research is co-created, societally relevant, and primed for utilisation by its intended beneficiaries. Interaction is embedded across all work packages, with dedicated coordination through WP7 and governance support from the Steering Group and Scientific Advisory Committee. Stakeholder interaction, summarized in Table 3., occurs through multiple formats, including:

  • Policy labs with ministries, regional authorities, and EU-level agencies to align research with regulatory and strategic needs;
  • Living labs and educational pilots with schools, universities, and municipalities to support skills development and test practical applications of space data;
  • Industry roundtables and innovation forums to co-develop tools, share insights, and anticipate business needs and trends;
  • Citizen science initiatives and public engagement campaigns to foster trust, awareness, and adoption of space-based services.

These activities foster mutual learning, enable timely uptake of research findings, and contribute to the co-creation of governance, business, and educational models. They also ensure legitimacy, relevance, and the long-term usability of project outcomes.

Knowledge needs and key actors

SPACECONOMY serves diverse stakeholders, including business leaders, public authorities, educators, citizens, and international networks, by addressing their specific information needs through tailored interaction. Stakeholders are detailed in Table 3. The project also contributes to European knowledge-sharing via platforms like NEREUS (Network of European Regions Using Space Technologies), linking Finnish regional development with EU-wide policy learning.

Means, channels and timing of interaction

Interaction is timed strategically to support learning and uptake at each stage of the project:

  1. Early-phase: stakeholder mapping, dialogue initiation, and launch of communication channels (e.g. website, newsletter, stakeholder mailing list);
  2. Mid-phase: policy labs, pilot activities, citizen panel work, educational rollouts, and regional case studies to test and validate research in real-world contexts;
  3. Final phase: integration of stakeholder feedback into the roadmap (WP4), dissemination of results via seminars and policy briefs, and capacity-building for long-term impact.

Communication in SPACECONOMY flows internally between partners, externally to stakeholders, and back through feedback loops to ensure responsiveness. The project website will serve as the main hub, featuring updates, blogs, deliverables, and interactive content. 

Blogs and newsletters co-authored with the stakeholders will offer ongoing reflections. Social media (LinkedIn, Instagram) will target key audiences, while media outreach involves mational media and international outlets. 

Personal engagement remains central, with a dedicated SPACECONOMY track at the Winter Satellite Workshop. Additional activities include policy roundtables, hackathons (e.g. Junction), school programs, and outreach with Heureka, Ursa Astronomical Association, and LUMA centres. 

SPACECONOMY will also draw on an established citizen panel initiated by the University of Turku’s Science Belongs to Everyone project. In 2026, the panel will provide structured input to guide research questions related to wellbeing and space technology and advise on how to communicate scientific results in ways that are meaningful and accessible to the public. 

A national Steering Group (SG) will be established to support strategic alignment, stakeholder coordination and the societal relevance of the project. It will include representatives from ministries, industry, regional authorities, academia, and civil society, ensuring diverse perspectives and early engagement with key end-users. Confirmed members are: Tiina Nurmi(Business Finland), Kaj Pyyhtiä (Iceye Ltd.), Miika Kostamo (ESA Phi-Lab Finland), Ville Meskus (ReOrbit Ltd.), Osmo Pitkänen (CGI Ltd.), Saku Anttila (Finnish Environmental Institute - SYKE), Kaisa Ahonen (ESA BIC Finland), Marko Höyhtyä (National Defense University), Heikki Haaparanta (SAMK). 

The SG meets regularly to provide feedback, promote knowledge exchange, and strengthen the uptake of results in policy, education, and innovation ecosystems. Its composition supports alignment with national priorities, such as Finland’s space strategy and innovation policy.