An open seminar on the future of regional development will be held 12 September at the University of Akureyri. The seminar is organised by Ministry of Transport and Local Government, Byggdastofnun and Nordregio and in cooperation with the EK-R (Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Regional Policy) and Nordregio’s Board of Directors.
“We have a very prestigious, experienced and inspirational group of speakers focusing on the future of the Nordic regional development. The outcome of this seminar as the basis for the upcoming Nordic cooperation program for regional development.” -Kjell Nilsson, Director at Nordregio
Registration via this link
Programme
09:00-09:10 Opening Adress Rector Eyjólfur Guðmundsson, Rector at the University of Akureyri
09:10-09.25 Introduction: Nordic Cooperation on Regional Policy – What topics have been prioritized in the past and what’s in the pipeline for the future? Kjell Nilsson, Director of Nordregio and Affiliated Professor at University of Copenhagen
09:25-09:45 Opportunities and challenges for regional development in the North Atlantic Region, Snorri Björn Sigurdsson, Head of Department, Icelandic Regional Development Institute
09:45-10:20 What have been the key successes – and shortcomings – of regional development policy over the past 20 years, and what are the key lessons to be drawn? José Enrique Garcilazo, Head of Regional and Rural Unit, OECD
10:20-10:40 Coffee break
10:40-11:00 The Nordic Welfare State at the crossroads, Joakim Palme, Professor of Political Science, Uppsala University (SE)
11:00-11:30 Discussants Gerd Slinning & Katarina Fellman (Isabella Palomba Rydén)
11:30-11:50 The sustainable Nordic city of tomorrow, Ellen Braae & Henriette Steiner, Professor and Ass. Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Copenhagen (DK)
11:50-12:30 Discussants Jarle Jensen & Olli Vuotilainen
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30-13:50 Opportunities and challenges for future rural development policies in the Nordic Region, Gro Marit Grimsrud, Senior Researcher, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS (NO)
13:50-14:30 Discussants Hanna Maria Urjankangas & Maria Eriksson (Eydun Christiansen)
14:30-14:50 Green transition for resilient Nordic regions, Markku Sotarauta, Professor of Regional Development Studies, University of Tampere (FI)
14:50-15:20 Discussants Sara Aasted Paarup & Bjørn Barvik
15:20-15:50 Coffee break
15:50-16:10 Future opportunities and challenges for the Nordic Arctic Region, Astrid Ogilvie, Senior Scientist, Stefansson Arctic Institute (IS), and former holder of the Nansen Professorship at University of Akureyri
16:10-16:40 Discussants Thomas Gaarde Madsen & Holger Bisgaard (Halla Nolsøe Poulsen)
16:40-17:00 Concluding remarks towards a new Nordic Cooperation Programme for Regional Policy Hermann Sæmundsen, Director, Ministry of Transport and Local Government (IS)
17:00-19:00 Reception
