The Space Physics Group of the University of Helsinki is a leading European space physics group specialised both in computational modelling of space plasmas and in spacecraft observations. We are the leading host for the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Research of Sustainable Space, where our target is to understand the space environment to be able to build more durable small satellites for the future. The Centre of Excellence is essentially a space programme to build and launch three nanosatellites, each of which has both an ambitious science programme as well as a technology demonstration payload. The Space Physics group is also a home to the novel Vlasiator code, providing an unprecedented view of the global solar wind – magnetosphere – ionosphere system at ion kinetic scales.