Administration of Space Activities

 In Finland, the administration, funding, and implementation of space activities has been decentralized to several administrative branches. The activities are coordinated by the Finnish Space Committee. The committee is an advisory body with the task of developing and utilizing knowledge and technologies related to space activities. Committee members represent the governmental, industrial, and research sectors.

Finnish Funding Agency of Technology is the executive body for space activities and the largest public investor in the field in Finland. It coordinates the Finnish participation in the research and science programs of the European Space Agency (ESA) and funds Finnish scientific equipment for space probes, their technological research, and application development.

The Academy of Finland funds basic space research, such as astronomy, through centers of excellence, studies, and programs. It also represents Finland in different space research organizations, such as ESO and EISCAT.

Together, Finnish Funding Agency of Technology and the Academy of Finland coordinate international cooperation with Finnish space activities. They support enterprises, research institutes, and universities in research and development work related to space activities, and offer related services.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry represents Finland in the EU's framework programs and the ESA Council, aligning the focal points of Finland's financial resources and participation in the activities.
One of the tasks that falls to the public sector is to apply methods and technologies developed in the space industry to their own services and information acquisition activities. They also support space research and teaching and inform the public about space-related matters.