University of Southern Denmark joins Space Nordic to map the region's research infrastructure and unlock its commercial potential
SDU brings expertise in space research and technology transfer to Space Nordic, to catalogue Nordic research infrastructure and build clearer pathways from academia to commercial application along with the other partners in the project.
The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) today joins the launch of Space Nordic, a new pan-Nordic initiative to unify the region's space sector and strengthen its position in the global space economy. Funded by Nordic Innovation and coordinated by Space Denmark, Space Nordic brings together six leading organisations from Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway to address the fragmentation that has long prevented the Nordic region from realising its full collective potential in space.
The Nordic region holds world-class capabilities in precision manufacturing, satellite systems, earth observation, and Arctic monitoring - yet each country has largely operated in isolation. Space Nordic changes that, creating a unified Nordic presence that can compete on the global stage and secure a greater share of European and international space contracts.
SDU's Role: Mapping the Nordic Research Landscape
Within Space Nordic, SDU plays a central role in Work Package 1 - Mapping Research Infrastructure and Research-to-Business (R2B) Scaling. This work package sits at the heart of the project's ambition: before the Nordic region can leverage its research strengths commercially, those strengths need to be visible, accessible, and easy for industry to engage with.
SDU will collaborate with Tampere University (Finland), Uppsala Innovation Centre (Sweden), Innovatum (Sweden) and Norwegian Space Cluster (Norway) to deliver the required outputs of the project:
Work Package 1 — Key Deliverables
• An Interactive Digital Catalogue of Nordic Space Infrastructure - a living, searchable database of testbeds, laboratories, and ground stations across the region, assessed for SME readiness
• A Research-to-Business Dissemination Protocol and Industry Awareness Toolkit - standardised frameworks and guidance that help researchers communicate their findings to industry and facilitate knowledge transfer
• A Nordic Space Strongholds and Gap Analysis Report - identifying where the Nordic region leads globally and where investment or collaboration is needed to fill critical capability gaps
The work begins with a comprehensive audit of national data on space research facilities, followed by on-site and virtual assessments that evaluate how accessible and industry-ready each facility is. SDU will also map the current academic-to-industry pathways that exist across the region, identifying what is working and where structural barriers remain. A regular Space Nordic Research Digest will keep industry informed of the latest developments.
Why This Work Matters
Access to validated research infrastructure is one of the most significant bottlenecks for space technology startups and SMEs in the Nordic region. Companies often lack the resources to identify, evaluate, and access the testbeds and laboratories they need to bring their technologies to flight heritage. By making this infrastructure visible and systematically assessing its readiness for commercial use, Space Nordic removes a critical barrier to commercialisation.
At the same time, a significant volume of high-quality Nordic space research never reaches the companies that could act on it. The dissemination framework and research digest developed in Work Package 1 will create a sustainable, low-cost mechanism for keeping industry connected to the academic frontier — strengthening the innovation pipeline across the entire region.
About Space Nordic
Space Nordic is a three-year initiative funded by Nordic Innovation and led by Space Denmark. The project brings together Space Denmark and the University of Southern Denmark (Denmark), Tampere University (Finland), Uppsala Innovation Centre and Innovatum (Sweden), and Norwegian Space Cluster (Norway). Over the project period, Space Nordic will coordinate Nordic delegations to major global space events, create a living catalogue of regional research and testing facilities, develop standardised frameworks for research dissemination, and facilitate brokerage between Nordic space actors and large international buyers.