Research project AuroraSpace is a cross-border collaboration project promoting space-related innovation and business development in the Aurora region. Focusing on sustainability, education, and technological advancement, the project seeks to position the Nordic region as a leading player in the space sector.
AuroraSpace is an EU-funded collaboration project strengthening the space sector in northern Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Twelve universities and research institutes work together to promote education, sustainable development, and business growth in the space domain. The project enhances cooperation between academia, industry, and society. Umeå University contributes expertise in entrepreneurship and connects space technology to practical applications such as GIS and remote sensing. The goal is to position the region as a visible and competitive center for space activity in the Nordics.
EU Interreg Aurora
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
Umeå University is one of twelve universities and research institutes collaborating in AuroraSpace – Boosting Space Business, a three-year EU-funded project under the Interreg Aurora programme. The project focuses on building an innovative and competitive space ecosystem in northern Sweden, Finland, and Norway – combining education, space research, business development, and societal benefit.
As space technology plays an increasingly vital role in climate monitoring, natural resource management, and digital infrastructure, the need for collaboration between academia, industry, and the public sector is growing. AuroraSpace aims to create new platforms for exchange, improve access to space-related education and research, and strengthen cross-border cooperation.
Umeå University contributes with expertise in entrepreneurship, innovation processes, and university-industry collaboration. One key focus is supporting the development of learning environments and structures that enable the practical use of space data.
“Umeå University has long conducted research and education linked to space, particularly in physics and geographic information systems (GIS). In collaboration with SLU (the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) and their strong expertise in remote sensing of forests and agriculture, Umeå has become a natural hub in the growing space sector. The new possibilities offered by satellite data and space technologies to monitor our planet, forests, and natural resources open doors to innovation and sustainable societal development,” says Tomas Blomquist, Professor of Business Administration at Umeå University.
The project builds on earlier regional cooperation, including the Kvarken Space Center and the Botnia-Atlantica programme. It aims to establish the Aurora region as a hub for space innovation in the Nordics and Europe.
