Programme

Moderator: Annika Östman, Head of Communications, Nordregio

Rolf Elmér, Director, Nordregio

Rolf Johnsen, Head of Climate and Energy, Aarhus Municipality

How can cities remain competitive, sustainable and resilient in a rapidly changing world? Drawing on experiences from Aarhus, the session will explore the role of cities in creating attractive conditions for citizens and businesses, and the importance of collaboration between the public sector, businesses and other actors.

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

The Nordic countries have strong economies, advanced technologies and a long tradition of trust and cooperation. Yet growing geopolitical tensions and increasing competition for technology, capital and resources mean that Nordic strengths must be translated into concrete joint action.

Following the inaugural Nordic Compass Summit in Gothenburg, Stine Kromann Dragsted will present the key outcomes and emerging initiatives across Capital Markets, Deep Tech, Defence and Energy. She will then join Annika Östman for a fireside chat on what these priorities mean for Nordic competitiveness, resilience and regional development, and what it will take to move from ambition to implementation.

Carlos Tapia, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio

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.

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.

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

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

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?

Anne-Sofie Thomsen, Project Manager, VisitAarhus & ReThinker

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

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

Anna Lundgren, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio

Commentators:

Hjalti Jóhannesson, Researcher, University of Akureyri Research Centre

Jimmy Sand, Analyst, Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research

When a crisis hits, which regions are better equipped to protect jobs: those with a diverse mix of industries or those built around a few specialised sectors?

Diversification is often considered a safeguard against economic shocks. But new Nordregio research examining Nordic labour markets during the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic challenges this assumption. Specialised regions have, in some cases, performed just as well or even better.

This panel brings together researchers and local and regional practitioners to debate what really makes labour markets resilient. Can specialisation be a strength rather than a vulnerability? Should smaller communities diversify their economies, or build on what they already do best? And what can municipalities and regions do today to prepare for the next crisis?

Presentation by Benjamin Ullman, Junior GIS analyst/Cartographer Nordregio

Panellists:

Gunvor Eldegard, Senior Adviso, KS

Hjalti Jóhannesson, Researcher, University of Akureyri Research Centre

Peter Olsson, Director of Education, Gällivare Kommun

Anne Lise Kappel, Consultant, Nalik Ventures

Nicklas Guldåker, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio

Moderator: Anne Katrine Ebbesen, Senior Communications Advisor, Nordregio

Join us for a three course dinner at Malt Brewery! During the evening, we’ll be accompanied by Midnatssol, a Danish trio that dives into the Nordic folk music traditions with passion and playfulness, creating a warm and soulful music experience.

Annika Östman, Miia Itänen, Axel Eriksson, Jonas Kačkus Tybjerg, Nordregio

Hear about the study visits from the day before and key take-aways.

Availability of affordable, high-quality housing is both a social priority and a competitiveness factor for Nordic cities and regions. However, providing more housing while at the same time meeting increasingly ambitious environmental goals is a challenge. Tensions between competitiveness, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability are growing in planning practice. Join us for this panel debate where housing and land use planning experts from the Nordic region discuss ways forward. How can Nordic cities and regions deliver affordable housing in ways that support regional growth while respecting environmental limits?

During this session, you’ll gain a better understanding of:

• How Nordic cities and regions combine affordable housing development with other goals
• Similarities and differences regions are facing 
• How existing planning and policy tools support effective housing strategies – and what’s missing? 
• How national & regional governments can support municipalities

Speakers:

Anna Granath Hansson, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio

Henrik Lönnqvist, Manager of Urban Development, Finnish association of municipalities

Sigríður Björk Jónsdóttir, Icelandic housing, construction and planning authority

Berit Irene Nordahl, researcher emeritus, Oslo Metropolitan University

Rikke Skovgaard Nielsen, senior researcher, Aalborg University

Moderator: Annika Östman, Head of Communications, Nordregio

Professor Torben M. Andersen, Department of Economics, University of Aarhus.

The hallmark of the Nordic model is its ability to reconcile high levels of living standards with a relatively equal distribution of incomes. Can these properties be maintained when the population ages and new technologies affect labour markets? These changes may directly affect economic performance, but also public finances, raising the question of whether the model is financially viable. The policy challenges in sustaining prosperity, social balance, and resilience are discussed.