On Thursday, 13 November 2025, at the University of Vaasa, we witnessed an important academic milestone as Mikko Punnala successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in the Nissi Auditorium. The defence demonstrated his rigorous scholarship, deep insight, and thoughtful engagement with the complex dynamics of the New Space Economy. The opponent for the ceremony was Professor Petri Ahokangas, who was also a reviewer of the thesis, together with Professor Pasi Tyrväinen.
Mikko Punnala’s work on internationalization in the New Space Economy highlighted how small and medium-sized enterprises navigate technological intensity, regulatory environments, and geopolitical realities. His contributions offer valuable perspectives to both academia and practitioners working in this emerging field.
We extend our warm congratulations to Mikko Punnala on achieving this significant academic accomplishment. His dedication and clarity of thought were evident throughout the defence, and we are proud to celebrate this moment with him. Truly, he is an inspiration globally and in space.
We look forward to seeing the impact of Mikko Punnala’s work as he continues to explore new horizons in the space economy, IB, and most importantly as a practicing entrepreneur. May the commitment, perseverance, and collective vision that shaped this dissertation continue to inspire and illuminate possibilities in the evolving the New Space Economy.
In the dissertation, there are multiple mentions about the impact of the European Space Agency’s Business Incubators, such as ESA BIC Finland:
“Punnala identifies ESA’s Business Incubation Centres as a cornerstone of the European space innovation architecture. The ESABICs provide start-ups and early-stage companies with technical mentoring, seed funding, infrastructure access and strategic guidance, forming what the dissertation describes as institutional scaffolding. This scaffolding enables firms to move from proof of concept to commercial maturity while remaining integrated within ESA’s technical and governance ecosystem.” *
- Mikko Punnala’s doctoral dissertation in full HERE.
Text and picture: University of Vaasa
* Punnala, M. (2025). Internationalising in the Space Economy: Ecosystems, Institutions, and the Strategic Behaviour of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the New Space Economy [Doctoral dissertation, University of Vaasa]. Osuva. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-395-223-2
Mikko’s company, SharpNav, is part of ESA BIC Finland. The company delivers precise 3-meter satellite positioning accuracy in GPS-jammed conditions, with the potential to achieve centimeter-level accuracy using LEO satellites soon.
European Space Agency’s (ESA) Business Incubation Centre in Finland aims to support aspiring innovative entrepreneurs and ambitious startups financially and technically to reveal their undiscovered space potential. If you have any questions or need guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to support you every step of the way.
