The EU’s Competitiveness Council will meet in Brussels on 7–8 December 2023. Minister of Employment Arto Satonen will represent Finland in the meeting of ministers responsible for internal market and industry on 7 December. Meanwhile, Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman will be Finland’s representative at the meeting of the ministers responsible for research and space on 8 December.

Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman will attend the Space Summit 2023 in Spain’s Seville on 6–7 November 2023. The event will bring together European space operators. An informal meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council, an informal ministerial meeting of the European Space Agency (ESA) and an informal joint meeting of the EU and ESA will be held in connection with the summit.

The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch its spacecraft Juice from French Guiana this week. The most likely launch date will be 13 April 2023. Juice will be the first spacecraft to ever orbit a moon of another planet. The spacecraft contains Finnish space technology and expertise.

Space activities are very important for the functioning of people’s daily lives and society. An event organised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment focused on the impacts of space activities on the major questions of our time, such as climate change and security. The invited guests also discussed how the EU’s international competitiveness can be secured amid the rapid development of the sector and how companies can be supported in the development of innovations and technologies.

The expert report published by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on 18 February 2022 proposes that Finland participate in the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Human Spaceflight and Robotic Exploration Programme (E3P programme). The report also recommends stronger resourcing for the national space administration.