SpacEconomy launched as a strategic initiative to drive Finland’s space economy
Tampere University leads SpacEconomy (Advancing Sustainable Economic Growth through Space), a project launched in October 2025 to advance Finland’s space economy and address related challenges. The project is funded by the Strategic Research Council of the Research Council of Finland.
“Space is invisible, and yet it forms a fundamental part of our everyday lives. The SpacEconomy project explores the key functions and critical infrastructures within our society that depend on space‑based activities,” says the Principal Investigator, Professor Heidi Kuusniemi from Tampere University.
The project consortium is developing innovative business models and flexible governance frameworks for the space economy, with the aim of raising awareness of the space sector among the general public, businesses and policy-makers.
In addition, the project partners will create new pathways for building expertise in the space sector and encourage entrepreneurial activity.
Promoting the effective use of satellite data and the development of new applications
Further priorities for the SpacEconomy project include the effective utilisation of satellites designed for Earth observation, positioning and timing as well as the development of new space‑based applications. To achieve these goals, the consortium will develop space‑related education and leverage the capabilities of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
“Space data has direct applications across a broad range of fields, such as renewable energy production, precision agriculture, smart urban planning, sustainable transport and environmental monitoring,” says Kuusniemi.
The project will also examine the changes that are rapidly and profoundly reshaping the global space economy, driven by advances in space technology and shifting geopolitical dynamics.
“In addition to the growing importance of dual‑use products and governmental applications, new civilian applications are continually emerging. Space tourism, space‑based energy generation and industrial activities, space mining, and even server farms orbiting the Earth are all areas in which Finland has significant expertise to offer,” Kuusniemi notes.
Policy recommendations and a roadmap to advance the Finnish space economy
The specialists participating in SpacEconomy will issue policy recommendations and prepare a roadmap to support the growth of Finland’s space economy. They will also involve the wider public in the project and communicate research findings and developments in the space economy in clear, non-specialist terms.
The project will strengthen the national network of space‑sector stakeholders and encourage new actors to participate in space‑based activities. Stakeholders from Finnish research institutions, ministries and the Finnish Space Committee will also participate in the project in an advisory capacity.
SpacEconomy
- The project is coordinated by Tampere University and involves Aalto University, the University of Helsinki, the University of Turku, the University of Vaasa, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the National Land Survey of Finland and Kupla Productions, a media production company specialising in science communication.
- The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland’s Strategic Research Council and included within its Economy and Welfare in an Era of Strategic Competition (WELEC) programme. The WELEC programme aims to foster economic growth and societal well‑being amidst changing circumstances.
More information:
Heidi Kuusniemi, Professor, Principal Investigator, Tampere University
heidi.kuusniemi [at] tuni.fi (heidi[dot]kuusniemi[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 50 352 1085
Ia Hyttinen, Project Coordinator, Tampere University
ia.hyttinen [at] tuni.fi (ia[dot]hyttinen[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 50 469 8435
Jari Mäkinen, Communications Specialist
jari.makinen [at] kupla.com (jari[dot]makinen[at]kupla[dot]com)
+358 40 550 9198
