New space incubators opened in Sweden

Radio Sweden
Posted: Monday, December 28, 2015 at 10:01 — Last Updated: Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 16:37
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Christer Nilsson at the Swedish National Space Board. (Ryan Tebo/Sveriges Radio)

The first Scandanavian space incubator has just been launched, aiming to help new companies utilize space technology, patents, inventions and know-how to solve problems here on earth.

It will also assist start-ups looking to find innovative solutions to meet challenges in space.

Jens Lundström is the managing director for the Arctic Business Incubator in Luleå in northern Sweden and has now become the managing director of the newly started Swedish branch of the European Space Agency Business Incubation Center, ESA BIC. Lundström told Radio Sweden that the goal for the incubator project is to support over 40 start-ups between 2016-2020. The support will come from Lundström’s incubator in Lund, as well as from one in Uppsala and one in Trollhättan in western Sweden.

The Swedish National Space Board took the initiative for the Swedish incubation program, along with ESA. Christer Nilsson works At the SNSB and is responsible for the space technology programs in Sweden. He has a lot of contact with industries and told Radio Sweden that incubation is good for innovation and, hopefully, in the end employment too.

Stefan Gustafsson works in the Technology Transfer Program Office at the European Space Agency, ESA, in the Netherlands. He is responsible for several of the space incubation programs throughout Europe and told Radio Sweden that developing international connections is crucial because all large space projects are realized through international teams.