Space is gaining increased strategic and political importance in Sweden

In recent years, the Swedish Government has increased the space budget and initiated several initiatives to strengthen Sweden in this field. On 18 March, the Minister for Education, Anna Ekström, spoke about the government’s engagement in space issues during the first High-Level Forum Space meeting, arranged at Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden by the Swedish Defense University together with Swedish Space Corporation, SSC.

"The space sector has the potential to play a crucial role in leading sustainable adaptation linked to climate change as well as creating future job opportunities in Sweden. With the help of satellites, we can deepen our understanding of climate change, how it develops over time, and what we need to do to adapt. And in today’s geopolitical situation the space sector is becoming increasingly important," said Anna Ekström.

The purpose of High-Level Forum Space is to bring together leading figures in the entire sphere of society in order to increase knowledge, discuss development and the future. During the meeting at Esrange, the delegates focused on the importance of space activities for societal development, innovation and sustainable development.

"We appreciate this great and important initiative, in which SSC can contribute with our broad knowledge and more than 50 years of experience. SSC plays an important role in the space field, and we are excited to be a driving part of the advancements in this area. Through these collaborations we help build a stronger Sweden by utilizing the possibilities of space and managing risks linked to it," says Stefan Gustafsson, Head of Strategy & Sustainable Business at SSC.

Read more about this year’s High-Level Forum Space on the Swedish Government Offices' website (in Swedish): https://www.regeringen.se/artiklar/2022/03/rymden-far-allt-storre-strategisk-och-politisk-vikt/