Finland brought together senior UK defence and aerospace stakeholders at the Finnish Ambassador’s Residence in London for a high-level strategic dialogue focused on Earth Observation (EO), Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT), and resilient space-enabled situational awareness.

Hosted by the Embassy of Finland and opened by Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Trade, Ville Tavio, the event convened representatives from UK defence institutions alongside six leading Finnish aerospace and security technology companies: ICEYE, Kuva Space, Kelluu, Modirum Platforms, ReOrbit and SharpNav.

The dialogue centred on how Arctic-hardened European space capabilities can support UK operational needs in contested environments, from maritime and northern approaches to resilient command and control systems. Opening the event, Ambassador Teemu Turunen emphasised the importance of strengthening Europe’s technological sovereignty and resilience in an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment, stating that “every dependency is a vulnerability” and underlining the need for Europe to build strength together with trusted partners.

Minister Tavio placed the discussion firmly within the broader European security landscape: “In the current geopolitical context, Europe must develop its capabilities in order to enhance its capacity to act on its own and reduce dependencies. We must ensure that European space capabilities are developed efficiently. In this field, we see that Finland and the UK would be an excellent match. In both countries, we need growth and prosperity. In addition, we need economic activity and more partnerships with like-minded and trusted countries and companies.”

The Minister’s remarks echoed the UK Prime Minister’s recent statement at the Munich Security Conference, where he stressed the importance of deeper cooperation between Britain and Europe: “There is no British security without Europe, and there is no European security without Britain.”

Throughout the event, speakers highlighted how Finland’s operating environment - including its 1,300km border with Russia and Arctic conditions where austere weather and electromagnetic disruption are routine - has shaped the development of resilient, dual-use space technologies.

The Finnish companies showcased a breadth of operational capabilities spanning persistent, all-weather synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery, advanced hyperspectral Earth observation and analytics, GPS-resilient positioning and timing systems, software-defined satellite connectivity, lower-altitude persistent ISR platforms, and secure communications and interoperable mission systems.

Developed and tested in demanding Arctic conditions, these technologies are designed to operate in degraded and contested environments, supporting resilient command and control across maritime, air and joint domains.

A keynote address by Major General (Ret.) Juha-Pekka Keränen, former Commander of the Finnish Air Force, underscored how rapidly civilian-developed space technologies have transformed operational awareness, data processing and targeting cycles. He highlighted the growing importance of resilient space-based capabilities, diverse sensor integration, and sovereign access to data in modern multi-domain operations.

The panel discussion between company representatives that followed focused on accelerating collaboration between UK and Finnish industry, addressing procurement barriers, improving interoperability, and creating faster pathways from pilot projects to operational capability. Participants stressed that operational experimentation and early engagement with end users are essential for effectively integrating emerging technologies.

The governmental organisations present were encouraged to test services of start- and scaleups boldly with short pilot agreements, whereas the companies were encouraged to make sure that they understand the problems they intend to solve. The event reflects Finland’s strengthened bilateral partnership with the UK following its accession to NATO and the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed in 2024. It also aligns with Finland’s new Team Finland strategy, which identifies the UK as a priority market, especially for digital services and advanced technologies.

As Europe reassesses its defence industrial base and space sovereignty in light of evolving security threats, the dialogue in London demonstrated clear alignment between Finnish innovation and UK operational priorities - and a strong appetite on both sides for deeper industrial and technological cooperation.

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