Great interest in space business opportunities

The space industry, academia, innovation enablers and suppliers are mobilizing to enable the region of Norrbotten to take advantage of the strong growth that the space industry is facing. The conference Space Innovation Forum has taken place in Kiruna and this time the theme was the business opportunities in the fast-growing satellite market.

Space Innovation Forum attracted 60s representatives from the space industry, students, researchers, innovation players and companies in the construction, manufacturing, IT and consulting industries who are interested in signing supplier contracts with space companies.

The market is set to double by 2040

“Northern Sweden’s potential is enormous. An eco-system around Luleå University of Technology, the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and the Institute of Space Physics (IRF), will create jobs, investments and tax revenues for the region and Sweden”, says Johanna Bergström Roos, project manager LTU Business.

Government support

– For the Swedish National Space Agency, it is hugely positive and impressive to see the willingness and determination of these actors from a wide variety of contexts, says Thorwald Larsson, senior advisor at the Swedish Space Agency, one of the conference participants.
Anne Lidgard director and senior advisor at Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation authority, agrees. Lidgard was one of the invited panelists and speakers at the conference.
– In order to create an attractive environment for new start-ups, international customers and investments, the ecosystem around space needs to be developed. Norrbotten has all the prerequisites to succeed and Vinnova obviously want to support this by participating and meeting all the driven actors, students and researchers.

Meeting place to make new business contacts

At SSC Esrange, intensive development is underway to meet the needs of the satellite market and thereby reach a new customer group. SSC is also a project partner in RIT2021.

“Space Innovation Forum offers the opportunity to meet students, potential research partners and subcontractors. At the same time, it is an important opportunity to create insight and understanding of how RIT 2021 will benefit project financiers and the region”, says Philip Påhlsson, SSC.

Next Space Innovation Forum

Save the date for the next Space Innovation Forum in Kiruna 29-30 september. The conference is funded by RIT2021 and is free to attend for space industry, researchers and students as well as local SME’s within Norrbotten interested in becoming sub-contractors to the space industry.

More details on ritspace.se