Project information:
Official name of the project: Boosting Space Business - the Aurora Region Space Economy Ecosystem (AuroraSpace)
Duration of the project: 1.10.2023 - 30.9.2026
Project coordinator: Vaasa University
Project partners: University of Vaasa, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, Aalto University, University of Oulu, Hanken School of Economics, Finnish Meterological Institute, Umeå University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Luleå University of Technology, Nord University, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Funding: ERDF, Regional Council of Ostrobothnia
Budget: 1 096 038 €
Contact person in VAMK:
Jari Ratilainen, Project Manager (Design Centre MUOVA)
tel. +358 207 663 325, jari.ratilainen@vamk.fi
Project website: https://auroraspace.eu/
Project Description
Our project consortium, which includes universities and research institutes, focuses on developing a space innovation ecosystem in the Interreg Aurora region to promote space business. By supporting and guiding the formation and operation of this ecosystem, the project aims to foster commercial and sustainable development processes that address the region’s current and future social challenges. Together with key actors and stakeholders in the Interreg Aurora region (Aurora and Sápmi), the project supports the development and functioning of a cross-border innovation ecosystem to strengthen cooperation and generate new business.
The project will enhance the region’s commercial space ecosystem and implement a space-friendly education, mobility, and exchange program connecting academia and industry. This networked approach will form a new scale for the space sector in the Aurora region, which will be presented internationally with the aim of becoming the “Silicon Valley of space” in the Nordic countries.
Goals
- Strengthen the space innovation ecosystem in the Aurora region to support smart specialization and the creation of new businesses.
- Promote education and expertise in the field of space technology from high school to university level.
- Create a cross-border cooperation network between companies, research institutes, and authorities.
- Support the creation of new businesses and business development through hackathons, workshops, and incubator activities.
- Develop a joint service portal for space services and expertise in the Aurora region.
- Establish a new space economy ecosystem and ensure its continuity after the project.
Results
- 8 jointly developed solutions
- 6 strategies or action plans
- 12 organizations in cross-border cooperation
- 26 organizations continuing cooperation after the end of the project
- Aurora Space ecosystem service portal launched
- Several hackathons and workshops to develop new business models
- Training and exchange programs for students and researchers
- Space ambassadors visit schools to increase interest in the field
- Cooperation with ESA, NASA, and UNOOSA
