The event is organized by students, for students in collaboration with UNIVERSEH, and aims to bridge the gap between academic studies and professional opportunities in the space sector. The exhibitors included leading space organizations such as SSC, FOI, OHB Sweden, ICEYE and the European Space Agency.
Ilian Jouve, student and LiftOff 2025 manager, emphasized the importance of the event for the space students at Space Campus:
“For students, their time on campus in Kiruna represents their final years before entering employment or research. They are already thinking about how to apply the knowledge gained at the University. Since Kiruna is a remote city, it can be difficult and costly for students to travel and meet companies”, Ilian Jouve says and continues:
“LiftOff matters because it brings companies to Kiruna. LiftOff permits students to discover industry while focusing on their studies and projects. It also makes companies realize that the space industry is happening in Kiruna and that students are closely linked to this activity during their studies. At the end, it’s a win-win event for students and companies”.
In the future, the organizers hope to engage more companies from outside Sweden to the fair.
“We hope to attract companies from all over Europe in the coming years, like ESA and Iceye (Finland) this year. It is hard with the distance, but I’m confident this can happen and that LiftOff can grow enough to attract the biggest companies from Germany, France, the UK, or Spain”, Ilian Jouve concludes.
