At LiftOff in Kiruna last week, Space Sweden North met space students from Luleå University of Technology to discuss innovation support, opportunities to gain experience and how early ideas can develop into potential products and services.
Space Sweden North has participated in LiftOff for several years. The event offers an opportunity to meet students, introduce the support available through the project and hear directly about their interests and ambitions.
This year, Ajith Kumar Baskar represented Space Sweden North, presenting the project’s innovation support and meeting students for individual conversations.
Connecting studies with practical experience
Many of the students’ questions concerned their next steps into working life: job opportunities, master’s thesis projects, summer jobs and part-time work. There was also recurring interest in Space Innovation Summer.
“Through Space Sweden North, we want to support students who have ideas of their own and help them take those ideas forward. LiftOff is also an opportunity to introduce Space Innovation Summer, where space students work on market validation of new ideas from academia and industry,” says Johan Bergström, Innovation Manager, Space Sweden North.
Space Innovation Summer gives students an opportunity to apply their knowledge to ideas from research and business, exploring potential markets and customer needs. Alongside this activity, Ajith highlighted opportunities for students to work in space start-ups during their education.
Support for ideas at an early stage
The conversations also showed that students are exploring ideas of their own. Ajith was particularly impressed by a group who connected new technological developments with a potential commercial opportunity.
For students interested in taking an idea further, Space Sweden North can offer support in assessing its potential and identifying what needs to be explored next. One of the resources available is Innovation Due Diligence, a structured method for evaluating an idea’s commercial potential and supporting its development towards a viable product or service.
An idea does not need to be fully developed before a student gets in touch.
“Students can contact us with an early idea. We can help them evaluate its potential and explore how it could be developed into a feasible solution,” says Ajith.
Students as part of northern Sweden’s space ecosystem
For Ajith, the meetings at LiftOff also highlighted the value that space students bring to northern Sweden. Students who complete their education in Norrbotten go on to work across the global space industry, connecting the region with organisations and expertise around the world.
Being present at LiftOff is a way to show students the opportunities to engage with research and industry during their studies and after graduation. It also helps Space Sweden North understand what students are looking for and where the project’s support can make a difference.
Do you have an idea you would like to explore?
You are welcome to contact Space Sweden North even if your idea is still at an early stage. Find contact details here and tell us about your idea or interest!
Karoline Pettersson, LTU Business.