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Purpose: This paper aims to present the newly founded Swedish Aeronautical Research Center (SARC), based on the triple helix theory, to foster the seamless Swedish aerospace research interplay between academia, research organizations and industry. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is a technical paper, mainly relating and explaining sources and concepts for research planning and organization. Used concepts are the triple helix approach (for socioeconomic effects), the role of academia and industry interplay for education and the technology readiness level (TRL) concept for strategic research planning. Focusing on the establishment of a graduate school, lessons learned from previous national research schools are also presented. Findings: The paper gives an overview of and explains the interplay between politics, social welfare and industrial R&D needs, with the academic viewpoint of aeronautical research and education. Shortcomings in both the use of TRL for research program planning and the Swedish competence cluster system are identified and remedies suggested. The main findings are suggestions for future actions to be conducted by SARC in the fields of research and education. Practical implications: The paper includes implications for the seamless interplay between academia, research organizations and industry. Originality/value: So far, no publication about the newly founded SARC has been made yet. It is unique in the way that it makes substantial use of national technical documents so that this information becomes available for non-Swedish speakers. Additionally, the perhaps-unique system of industrial competence clusters is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]