International Space Science Institute

What International Space Science Institute does

ISSI is a non-profit scientific institute headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, founded in 1995 to facilitate international, multidisciplinary collaboration in space and Earth sciences. It serves academic and institutional researchers worldwide through a portfolio of convening programs: International Teams (8-12 scientists meeting for 2-3 weeks over ~2 years), Workshops, Breakthrough Workshops, Working Groups, Fora, the Visiting Scientists program, and the J. Geiss Fellowship. Approximately 1,000 scientists visit the institute each year, with cumulative reach of 8,197 visitors from 63+ countries since inception.

The institute's platform combines physical infrastructure (950 sqm of meeting facilities with 5 rooms across 3 floors at Hallerstrasse 6, Bern) with an online collaboration suite deployed at tools.issibern.ch, comprising Overleaf, Nextcloud/OnlyOffice, GitLab, and JupyterHub. Since 1995, ISSI has supported 659 International Teams, 113 Workshops, 34 Working Groups, and 39 Forums, producing 6,000+ visitor papers, 1,120+ staff publications, 92 Space Science Series of ISSI (SSSI) volumes, 18 Scientific Reports, and 55 Spatium issues. Outreach is extended via the Game Changers webinar series, the ISSIcast podcast, social media channels, and the Pro ISSI association.

ISSI operates as a non-profit funded primarily by the European Space Agency (per a Cooperation Agreement signed December 15, 2022), the University of Bern, and Swiss institutional partners, with supplemental support from the Pro ISSI Foundation and the Virtual Alpine Observatory network. Services are provided to scientists free of charge through formal application processes; the institute generates no commercial product revenue. Governance rests with a Board of Trustees chaired by Prof. Willy Benz, alongside a Directorate led by incoming Director Prof. Elena Sabbi (appointed June 2026) and Administrative Director Prof. Maurizio Falanga. ISSI-BJ, a sister institute in Beijing established in 2013, extends the model into the Asian research community.

Name

International Space Science Institute

Legal name

International Space Science Institute

Website

https://issibern.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ISSI is a Bern-based non-profit scientific institute, founded in 1995, that facilitates international, multidisciplinary collaboration in space and Earth sciences by hosting visiting scientists, International Teams, workshops, and publication programs for the global academic research community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Science Research

NAICS

Space Research and Technology (927110)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate) (EDAIAIAF)

Keywords

• Space science research
• Scientific collaboration
• Earth science research
• Astrophysics research
• International research teams

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: ISSI is a non-profit institute funded by ESA (European Space Agency), Swiss partners including the University of Bern, and other institutional sources. The institute was established with ESA support and continues to receive institutional funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ISSI facilitates multi-disciplinary space and earth science research by hosting International Teams, Workshops, Working Groups, Fora, and Visiting Scientists at its Bern facilities. It provides physical meeting infrastructure and online collaboration tools, and publishes scientific output through the Space Science Series of ISSI, ISSI Scientific Reports, and SPATIUM series. All programs are offered free of charge to participating scientists through institutional funding from ESA, the University of Bern, and the Pro ISSI Foundation.

Product overview

The International Space Science Institute (ISSI) is a scientifically independent research institute that advances space and Earth science through facilitation of multi-disciplinary discourse. ISSI operates a platform-based offering centered on collaborative research programs, including International Teams (small groups of 8-12 scientists conducting focused research), Workshops and Breakthrough Workshops (larger scientific gatherings producing publications), Working Groups, Fora, and a Visiting Scientists program. Supporting these core programs, ISSI provides Online Collaboration Apps (Overleaf, Nextcloud/OnlyOffice, GitLab, Jupyter Hub), maintains publication series including the Space Science Series of ISSI (92 volumes), ISSI Scientific Reports (18 volumes), and SPATIUM (55 issues). Additional programs include the Game Changers Webinar series, the ISSIcast podcast, the J. Geiss Fellowship, and PRO ISSI outreach activities. ISSI's infrastructure includes meeting facilities in Bern, Switzerland with 5 meeting rooms across 950 square meters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Teams Small groups of 8-12 international scientists from different institutions who visit ISSI facilities in Bern for 2-3 one-week meetings over approximately 2 years to conduct collaborative research in Space and Earth Sciences. Open to scientists worldwide via formal application.
• Workshops Larger scientific gatherings that bring together scientists to discuss and synthesize the current state of research in specific fields, producing peer-reviewed publications and books. Open via formal enquiry/application.
• Breakthrough Workshops High-impact workshops dedicated to addressing major scientific questions in space and Earth sciences.
• Working Groups Groups that tackle specific scientific problems with focused interdisciplinary collaboration, distinct from International Teams in scope and structure.
• Fora Forums for thematic scientific discussions and exchanges among experts in specific space science topics.
• Visiting Scientists Program Program allowing scientists to visit ISSI for research collaboration, with approximately 1,000 scientists visiting annually.
• J. Geiss Fellowship Prestigious fellowship program named after ISSI's founding director Johannes Geiss, supporting distinguished scientists for extended visits.
• Game Changers Webinars Monthly online seminar series covering topics in solar system science, astrophysics, Earth sciences, and cosmology, open to the scientific community.
• ISSIcast Podcast series for outreach and science communication from ISSI.
• Space Science Series of ISSI (SSSI) Peer-reviewed book series containing up-to-date review articles on space science topics, with 92 volumes published.
• ISSI Scientific Reports Series Scientific report series documenting ISSI research outcomes, with 18 volumes published.
• SPATIUM Open-access publication series covering space science topics, with 55 issues published, associated with the Pro ISSI outreach association.
• PRO ISSI Association program supporting ISSI's outreach activities, including PRO ISSI Talks and SPATIUM publications, offering membership and community engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8197 visitors from 63+ countries have participated in ISSI activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2022ESA and ISSI signed an Agreement of Cooperation on December 15, 2022. ESA was instrumental in the founding of ISSI and continues as a key institutional partner, providing funding and collaboration on space science initiatives.
• Virtual Alpine Observatory (VAO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISSI became an associated partner in the Virtual Alpine Observatory research network in November 2023.
• University of BerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISSI is attached to the University of Bern and maintains close institutional ties. The institute is located on the university campus area.
• ISSI-BJ (Beijing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISSI-BJ is the sister institute in Beijing, China, established as a 'franchise' of ISSI Bern. It operates under ISSI's guidance and offers similar facilities and programs for the Asian scientific community.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI): STScI operates the science operations center for Hubble and JWST and facilitates international astronomer access to flagship mission data. Like ISSI, it is a non-profit research institute that convenes international science teams, hosts workshops, and produces peer-reviewed publications and reference volumes for space and astrophysics.
• Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (IAP): IAP is a French national research institute conducting astrophysics and cosmology research and hosting international visitors and workshops. It is directly comparable to ISSI as a European astrophysics institute with international visiting scientist and workshop programs.
• Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON): SRON is the Dutch national institute for space research, conducting astrophysics, earth observation, and exoplanet research with international collaborations. Like ISSI, it is a relatively small national institute that convenes researchers for space science missions and publishes peer-reviewed work.
• Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge: Kavli Cambridge hosts visiting researchers, workshops, and collaborative programs in cosmology and astrophysics. Like ISSI, it is a small, focused institute that advances space science by convening international researchers, producing publications, and operating as a neutral meeting ground.

Broad incumbents

• NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS): GISS is a NASA Earth and space science research lab focused on climate, planetary atmospheres, and astrophysics. It shares ISSI's model of convening researchers for collaborative, multidisciplinary space and earth science, but operates at much larger scale as a US government lab.
• Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics: MPE conducts experimental and theoretical research in astrophysics, including galactic and extragalactic astronomy, high-energy astrophysics, and planetary science. It is a comparable European research institute with strong international collaboration programs overlapping ISSI's space science focus.
• European Southern Observatory (ESO): ESO is an intergovernmental astronomy organization operating flagship observatories and supporting international scientific collaboration. It shares ISSI's intergovernmental funding model and international convening role in space/astronomy, but operates at much larger scale around physical observatory infrastructure.
• Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: The Center for Astrophysics combines Harvard and Smithsonian astrophysics research programs across theory, observation, and instrumentation. It is comparable to ISSI as a major multidisciplinary astrophysics and space science research hub with strong visiting scientist and workshop culture.
• Southwest Research Institute (SwRI): SwRI is a large US non-profit applied R&D organization with a substantial space science division covering planetary science, heliophysics, and astrophysics. It shares ISSI's non-profit, mission-science orientation but operates at significantly larger scale with broader commercial and government R&D work.

Regional players

• ISAS / JAXA Space Science Division: ISAS is Japan's national space science institute conducting planetary, astrophysics, and heliophysics research with international collaborators. It is comparable to ISSI's space science research and convening mission but operates as a larger, government-funded agency focused on a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/issibern
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/issibern
• Facebookfacebook.com/ISSIBern
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-space-science-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Space Science Institute