SESAC

SESAC Inaugurated as Sweden’s Hub for Space-Enabled Social Science

March 23, 2026

On March 5th, the Swedish Competence Centre for Satellite-Enabled Social Science Analytics (SESAC) was officially inaugurated at the historic Gamla biskopshuset in Lund. Funded by a SEK 4 million grant from the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA), this national centre marks the beginning of a new era where satellite technology and social science converge to solve complex societal challenges.

A Unique Global Advantage

While satellite data has long been used to monitor climate change and natural disasters, SESAC’s mission is to bring this ‘eye in the sky’ into the heart of social analysis. Dr. Ola Hall, head of SESAC, highlighted why Sweden is the perfect place for this frontier research:

“The real potential lies in combining satellite images with Sweden’s uniquely detailed statistics. It allows us to develop analyses that actually make a difference – from tracking urban development to understanding economic inequality in near real-time. Very few countries in the world have the data infrastructure to conduct this type of research.”

The Power of the Consortium

SESAC is a truly national effort. Led by Lund University, the centre operates in close collaboration with researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Linköping University, and Karlstad University. The interdisciplinary team brings together experts in:

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (GeoAI).
Regional Development, Sustainability, and Societal Risk.

Voices from the Space Agency

The inauguration featured key perspectives from the Swedish National Space Agency, emphasizing the centre’s role in translating high-tech data into practical policy tools.

Ernesto Gutiérrez, Head of Innovation and Societal Benefit at SNSA, remarked: “The inauguration marks the start of a new phase where satellite data becomes a self-evident part of how we analyze and address complex societal challenges.“

Iris Lee Thompson, responsible for Earth Observation at SNSA, added: “Through the centre, we create a structure that unites technical expertise and social analysis, making advanced space data more accessible for innovation and policy development.”

Looking Forward: From Research to Action

SESAC is not just a research center; it is a collaborative platform. Our goal is to convert complex data into practical, usable analysis for public authorities, decision-makers, and industry.

Moving forward, the centre will offer:

Methodology Support: Helping researchers integrate EO data into their workflows.
Education & Courses: Building national capacity in satellite analytics.
Co-Creative Hackathons: Bringing together stakeholders to solve real-world problems.

The inauguration is more than a celebration; it is a starting point for new partnerships. As we move forward, SESAC will continue to explore how cities change, how infrastructure evolves, and how we can build a more resilient society through the power of Earth Observation.