Kick-off meeting of SpacEconomy project

The SpacEconomy project work package leaders held its first physical meeting today, 9 December, at Heureka Science Centre in Vantaa. 

Heureka is one of the project’s advisory partners, and its excellent “Our Journey in Space” exhibition is still on display, making it a logical and fitting choice for the venue of the kick-off meeting.

At the end of the day, Sami Pihkala, the producer of the exhibition, gave a tour and told the story behind it. The participants got to experience walking on the Moon’s surface, performing repairs in weightlessness, and taking a trip to Mars complete with all its surprises.

The SpacEconomy project officially started already in October, and this new #StrategicResearch project got off to a strong start right away. Many of the work packages build closely on previous research, so they were able to organise quickly and focus their efforts in line with the project’s objectives.

In short, the goal is to promote economic growth, improve societal well-being, and support sustainable development through space technology and its applications – all from a multidisciplinary perspective. This will also be achieved by involving stakeholders who have traditionally had little contact with space projects but who have a lot to offer in the emerging new space economy.

The consortium includes:

• organisations whose work laid the foundation for today’s flourishing Finnish space sector (above all Aalto University, University of Helsinki, University of Turku, and the Finnish Meteorological Institute),
• entities that research and develop space applications now used by everyone (Tampere University and the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute FGI of the National Land Survey),
• universities advancing the commercialisation of space activities and space business (Tampere, Vaasa, and Turku),
• and Jari Mäkinen, who handles interaction and outreach coordination through his company Kupla Productions Oy.

At today’s meeting, the consortium reviewed the work packages and their contents, networked even more effectively than before, and planned future activities. One of these is a major presence at the Winter Satellite Workshop, which will be held in January at Dipoli in Espoo and has, in just eight years, become Europe’s leading event for the new space era.

Participation in the event is free, so everyone interested in space – and especially in Finland’s breathtakingly vibrant space activities – is welcome to register at spaceworkshop.fi. There you can also learn about the SpacEconomy project through presentations, posters, and an exhibition stand.

Another highlight of today’s kick-off was the introduction of our new project manager: Ia Hyttinen, who knows Strategic Research Council projects inside out, started in her role at the beginning of December.

In the photo, Heidi is in the front row in the centre, and Ia is on her right. The picture, taken during the lunch break, perfectly captures the mood of the participants: everyone is smiling without having to be asked!

A great foundation to build on. Onward!