Programme 17 November

Moderator: Annika Östman, Head of Communications, Nordregio

Dr. Rolf Elmér, Director, Nordregio

Rolf Johnsen, Head of Climate and Energy, Aarhus Municipality

Stine Kromann Dragsted, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Partnerships and Press, Nordic Compass

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Across the Nordic region, major investments in energy infrastructure, technology and industry are creating new opportunities for growth. Yet attracting capital is only part of the challenge. Are regions and municipalities prepared for the housing, skills and infrastructure demands that follows? How can they ensure that today’s investments generate long-term benefits for local communities, businesses and people?

In this conversation we’ll discuss how business, government and regional actors can work together to strengthen Nordic competitiveness while ensuring that the benefits of growth are shared across places and people.

Dr. Carlos Tapia, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio

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Sustainable competitiveness is defined as the long-term, multidimensional capacity of an economy to generate and sustain wealth without compromising the natural, social, and institutional foundations of sustainable development. Sustainable competitiveness must contribute to raising living standards and strengthening productivity, but higher output per capita should never come at the expense of welfare or social capital.

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When measuring sustainable competitiveness there is considerable ambiguity: some studies emphasise the inputs that underpin sustainable performance (physical capital, labour, total factor productivity, capabilities, institutions, and trust), while others focus on the outcomes (e.g., income per capita, employment levels, social indicators, and ecological data). Other approaches seek to integrate both perspectives.

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In this presentation we will (1) map how input and output indicators of sustainable competitiveness operate across different scales, illustrating their inter‑relationships; (2) outline alternative pathways for developing a sustainable competitiveness index tailored to the Nordic Region; 3) and discuss policy implications for promoting sustainable competitiveness within the Region

Dr. Hilma Salonen, Senior Research Fellow & Lisa Rohrer, Research Fellow, Nordregio

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This presentation shares key results from the Psychological resilience project, highlighting the invisible wiring of places where people are happy to stay and invest in. Drawing on case studies from five Nordic locations, we shed light on activities and infrastructure that official strategies or municipal branding campaigns may overlook because they seem too banal or not translatable into compelling election promises. Yet, as Nordic regions are encouraged to become ever more competitive and resilient, these unsung heroes are taking on responsibilities beyond their original roles and confronting difficult questions that risk to further divide social groups. The presentation uses these examples to ask: before we try to build more resilient communities, do we really know what a resilient community is?

What role do citizens play in making places attractive? A brief introduction to the ReThinker programme and how local volunteers contribute to vibrant communities, stronger visitor experiences and a sense of belonging in Aarhus.

Ask locals what life is like in Aarhus over a cup of coffee. Together with ReThinker and Visit Aarhus, local residents will answer any questions you have about living in Aarhus.

How can labour market dynamics support competitiveness?

Hjördís Guðmundsdóttir, Research Fellow, Nordregio

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What does it take for remote labour markets to be sustainable?

Dr. Anna Lundgren, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio

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Commentators:

Hjalti Jóhannesson, Researcher, University of Akureyri Research Centre

Jimmy Sand, Analyst, Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research

Presentation by Benjamin Ullman, Junior GIS analyst/Cartographer Nordregio

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Panellists:

Gunvor Eldegard, Senior Adviso, KS

Hjalti Jóhannesson, Researcher, University of Akureyri Research Centre

Peter Olsson, Director of Education, Gällivare Kommun

Dr Nicklas Guldåker, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio

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Moderator: Anne Katreine Ebbesen, Senior Communications Advisor, Nordregio