Finland: Space and satellite developments

Nordic governments issue joint declaration on space cooperation

In October, the Nordic countries have made a joint declaration to strengthen regional cooperation on space matters. This initiative aims to enhance innovation, security, environmental sustainability, and competitiveness across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The declaration comes at a time when Europe is actively developing its space capabilities, with the Nordics playing an increasingly strategic role.

The ministers for trade and industry in the Nordic countries have committed to establish a roundtable to coordinate space-related collaboration. This platform will facilitate regular dialogue, information exchange, and joint initiatives across the region. The roundtable is expected to:

• Support coordinated policy development on space innovation and security.
• Promote joint research and development projects.
• Enable shared use of infrastructure and data.
• Strengthen the region’s voice within European space governance frameworks.

This declaration complements existing cooperation through the EU’s space programme and the European Space Agency (“ESA”). It reflects a broader European effort to build autonomous space capabilities and reduce reliance on non-European actors. The timing is significant, as the Nordics are increasingly being recognised for contributions to space innovation and infrastructure.

Competition for European launch capabilities

The Nordic region is emerging as a key player in Europe’s launch capability landscape. Two Nordic spaceports are actively developing launch services for satellites from mainland Europe:

• Andøya Spaceport in Norway hosted a successful test flight for an orbital rocket in March 2025.
• Esrange Space Center in Sweden is working towards orbital rocket launches scheduled for 2026.

These developments have attracted interest from US space companies, including agreements for launch and landing operations. The competition between these sites reflects Europe’s strategic push to secure independent launch capabilities.

Expanding Nordic space economy

Beyond launch infrastructure, the Nordic space economy is expanding rapidly. According to SpaceFinland, there has been notable growth in Finland:

• Revenue among 70 Finnish space sector companies increased by 34 per cent between 2018 and 2022.
• Employment in the sector rose by 22 per cent during the same period.

This growth is mirrored across the region, supported by national innovation strategies and increasing international collaboration.

Commercial opportunities

The growth and expansion in the Nordic region brings a range of commercial opportunities for space operators. For example, ICEYE, a Finnish company specialising in synthetic-aperture radar (“SAR”) satellite technology, has recently secured major state support for a €250 million technology expansion programme, highlighting Finland’s growing role in the global space economy and the scale of commercial potential emerging across the Nordic region[2].

The newly announced roundtable is expected to support and catalyse commercial activity by facilitating cross-border partnerships, expanding available funding opportunities, improving access to European forums and supporting the commercialisation of space.

This article was co-authored by Niilo-Pekka Salminen.