Citizen Research Panel zoomed into Space

The “Science Belongs to Everyone!” project has established a Citizen Research Panel  at the University of Turku, which has proven to be an effective way to strengthen the citizen perspective in research activities.

The initiative, launched by the Department of Nursing Science, began in 2024. It provides researchers with the opportunity to hear directly from citizens about their opinions and needs, bringing significant added value to research processes.

On Monday, 23 March, the Citizen Research Panel convened at the request of the SpacEconomy project to discuss the space sector broadly – from communication to the national space economy roadmap, and further to economic and societal well-being.

This time, the panel included 16 very diverse participants, united by the fact that the space sector was largely unfamiliar to them. During the approximately three-hour session, they also received a solid introduction to the space economy, space activities, and applications of space technology.

The panel was conducted using the World Café format, and the results will be analysed over the coming weeks.

The findings will primarily inform the communication activities of the SpacEconomy project, but the views of the citizen panel will also be taken into account across several of the project’s work packages.

Representing the project at the event were Titiana Ertiö and Marikka Heikkilä from the University of Turku; Helka Kalliomäki and Johanna Kalliokoski from the University of Vaasa; as well as SpacEconomy project manager Ia Hyttinen and interaction coordinator Jari Mäkinen.