229 Events
Rights and bytes – Civil society’s role in Digital Inclusion
Civil society actors are crucial in bridging the digital divide in the Nordic and Baltic Region. Their work combating digital exclusion for socially at-risk groups with multifaceted needs should not be overlooked. But what does their support look like? What works, and what hinders these organisations? As part of Nordregio’s ongoing research project, “Digital Inclusion in Action,” this webinar will explore the important role of Nordic and Baltic civil society actors in ensuring that no one is left behind in our increasingly digital world. As civil society gains traction in digitalisation policies to ensure and promote equal access to the digitalised society, we will explore the unique challenges and success factors of NGOs supporting diverse groups. We have interviewed 20 NGOs across the Nordics and Baltics – during this webinar, we will present results from our research and present the comprehensive overview of their work – launching as digital stories at the webinar. NGO representatives will be present to share firsthand accounts of their work: best practices, and the unique challenges they face, following an interactive panel discussion. Webinar programme: Throughout the webinar you, our digital audience, will be encouraged to engage with the content: share thoughts, insights, good practices and ask questions. With us to guide us through the interactive webinar, is moderator Annika Östman, Head of Communication at Nordregio. Join us to learn more about: Don’t miss this chance to learn, share, and network about making digital inclusion a reality in the Nordic and Baltic Regions. Register through the form below! Those who register will also receive a recording of the webinar and a link to the launched storymaps after the webinar.
10 September 2024
- Webinar
Ystad Summit: Hur kan nordiska städer ta ledningen i klimatomställningen?
Norden har länge varit en förebild i klimatarbetet. En majoritet av nordiska kommuner arbetar strategiskt med FN:s globala hållbarhetsmål, enligt en ny rapport från Nordregio. EU-valet den 9 juni visade dessutom att klimatfrågan är viktigare i Norden än andra delar av Europa. Under Ystad Summit samlar Nordregio tongivande röster för att diskutera hur nordiska städer kan ta ledningen i den nödvändiga transformationen till ett hållbart samhälle. Är vi så bra på grön omställning i praktiken – eller är det mest snack? Hur går det med transporterna, konsumtionen och den biologiska mångfalden egentligen? Och vad händer om vi bara fokuserar på klimatet och inte de sociala utmaningarna, i jakten på att bli den mest hållbara staden? Kort sagt, vad krävs av politiker och invånare för att nordiska städer ska kunna bli verkliga förebilder för resten av världen? Med avstamp i den nyligen lanserade rapporten om hur nordiska kommuner implementerar hållbarhetsmålen, kommer företrädare från organisationer och kommuner i de nordiska länderna att diskutera utmaningar, erfarenheter och hur vi tillsammans kan ta ledningen i omställningen. Vi kommer också få höra ungas perspektiv på vad som är viktigt och hur vi involverar dem i detta arbete. Medverkande:• Åsa Ström Hildestrand, Nordregio/Nordiska Ministerrådet• Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, KSO Malmö Stad och ordförande ICLEI• Anna Esbjörn, Concito – Danmarks gröna tankesmedja som stöttar kommuner i genomförandet av klimathandlingsplaner• Åsa Minoz, Viable Cities• Siri Ankarfors, scout och LSU:s ungdomsrepresentant i FN för klimat- och miljöfrågor• Moderator: Yasemin Arhan Modéer, Altitude Meetings Vi ses på Ystad Summit, i Biografen den 5 september. Eventet kommer även att live-streamas här. Ystad Summit är en politiskt oberoende och öppen demokratisk mötesplats. Läs mer på deras hemsida.
05 September 2024
- Seminars
Launch: State of the Nordic Region 2024
The 20th edition of the State of the Nordic Region is out! We shared the report highlights in an online launch on 19 June. A recording is available below. The speakers included: State of the Nordic Region 2024 takes stock of the latest socio-economic trends and developments in demography, labour market and economy in the Nordic countries, regions, municipalities, and cities. We have also included a brand new and revised Regional Potential Index that sheds light on the development potential and performance of regions across the Nordics and helps identify the regions with the strongest growth potential. The report is a source of comparative knowledge and insights. It offers a rich Nordic panorama through a collection of maps, data, figures and analyses that highlight both broader, common trends, as well as local and regional differences. The report is a treasure trove of information for the anyone and everyone interested in learning about the Nordics or getting inspired by the Nordic model, or drawing insights from the diversity of Nordic regions and areas. State of the Nordic Region is a biannual report published and produced by Nordregio. State of the Nordic Region 2024 marks the 20th edition of the report. Building on a rich knowledge base, extensive data sets, statistics, maps and analyses, it takes a closer look the latest trends and developments in the Nordic Region from three perspectives: Demography, Labour Market and Economy. The report gives a unique look behind the scenes of the world’s most integrated region, comprised of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, along with Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland.
19 June 2024
- Publication launch
- Webinar
Fiscal Policy in Uncertain Times: Nordic Economic Policy Review 2024
Welcome to the launch event of the new report “Fiscal Policy in Uncertain Times”. The Global Financial Crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have had vastly negative effects on economies and increased the risk of political instability in all corners of the world. One consequence has been a renewed interest in the efficiency of conventional macroeconomic policies, fiscal policy in particular. This edition of the Nordic Economic Policy Review, provides a rich perspective on fiscal stabilisation in Nordic countries, highlighting different challenges in managing national economies during uncertain times. The event is organised together with the Danish Ministry of Finance. Watch the live stream on YouTube 14:00-16:30 (CET) below: Programme 7 June: 13.30-14.00: Arrival and coffee 14.00-14.15: Opening remarks 14.15-14.25: Introduction to report 14.25-15.30: Fiscal Stabilisers in Denmark and Sweden 15.30-´15.45: Coffee break– 15 mins. 15.45-16.30: Panel Debate: Fiscal policy during uncertain times – What are the challenges facing stabilisation policy in the future? Moderator: Sune Bjørnvig, Communications Advisor and Partner, FRIDAY & Partner Panelists: The event takes place on 7 June at 14:00-16:30 CET at the Danish Finance Ministry in Copenhagen, Denmark, and online. The event is open to all stakeholders and is free of charge. Please note that registration is mandatory. Register before 4 June!
07 June 2024
- Publication launch
Sustainable Living Summit: How you can act for change
Sign up for 15 October and get in on the action at the Sustainable Living Summit in Stockholm. We have invited speakers from a number of key sectors and research fields to showcase solutions, policies, and guidelines for how to contribute to sustainable lifestyle choices.
15 October 2024
- Conferences
Urban Transformation Talks
The TANGO-W project—which focuses on transformative capacity in energy, food, and water—invites urban planners, sustainability experts, and innovative thinkers to join our enlightening webinar series Urban Transformation Talks. The series features partners from diverse European cities who will share insights and advancements in driving sustainable urban development. Register for one, two, or all three webinars to engage with researchers and practitioners, and learn about new approaches to building resilient, sustainable cities. What is Urban Transformative Capacity and why does it matter for sustainability in your city?Webinar 1# 9 April 10-11 CET Our first webinar in this series covers what is Urban Transformation Capacity—and why it is crucial for sustainability. To become more sustainable, cities need to adapt their capacities to meet the challenges following climate change and learn how to successfully implement new processes and governance models in urban contexts. This calls for a paradigm shift among political, administrative, and research sectors, with a focus on linking food-water-energy policies as part of holistic solutions in cross-sectorial collaboration. In this webinar, you will hear insights from Doris Willhelmer (Austrian Institute of Technology); Maria Lennartsson (Stockholms Stad, Sweden) and Stefan Guggenberger (Klagenfurt Municipality, Austria) Urban Transformative Capacity in practice: Implementing sustainability projectsWebinar 2# 16 April 10-11 CET This webinar will discuss the opportunities and challenges of implementing sustainability projects. Insights from practical examples of local urban food production through aquaponics in Norrtälje (Sweden) and a food-waste reduction project with kindergartens in Halden (Norway) provide the context for discussing preconditions of urban transformative capacity. In this webinar, you will hear insights from Anja Wingstedt (Smart Innovation Norway); Kristiina Mustonen (Campus Roslagen, Sweden) and Hilde Marie Wold (Halden Municipality, Norway) Instruments for driving changeWebinar 3# 23 April 10-11 CET This webinar highlights different approaches for driving change towards a sustainable future, shaped by urban…
16 - 23 April 2024
- Webinar
Digital Inclusion in the Nordic-Baltic Region – The Conference
During two half days, 14-15 May 2024, it is finally time for the “Digital Inclusion in the Nordic-Baltic Region – The Conference” where we will deep dive into the development in the Nordic and Baltic Region! What is the current status of digital inclusion policies, or the rollout of eID and what role does civil society play? This and much more is on the agenda when policymakers, practitioners, civil society, and academia gather in Stockholm. We will showcase the outcomes of two years of research, highlighting the unique challenges and solutions specific to the Nordic-Baltic Region. As this event aims to foster collaboration, dialogue, and knowledge exchange – we need you in the room with us. During the two days two reports, two studies and two new tools will be launched! Programme Tuesday, 14th of May Starting 11:30 with check-in and lunch. The first day of the conference will tackle the question of “What characterises digital inclusion in the Nordic/Baltic region?” and “What can we do to reduce digital exclusion in the Nordic/Baltic region?”. Topics include discussions on the evolution of the political landscape concerning digital inclusion post Covid-19 in the Nordic and Baltic region, the status of digitalisation of the public sector, barriers and solutions of E-id roll out in the Nordic and Baltic region, the pivotal role of civil society actors in ensuring digital participation across all societal groups and, lastly, how can the political level work together with the civil society level. 11.30 Arrival and lunch 12.30 Welcome to the conference!Our moderator Annika Östman, head of communications at Nordregio, opens the conference Rolf Elmér, Director at Nordregio, welcomes you 12.45 Official Opening of ConferenceDan Sjöblom, Director-General of the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and Representative for the Swedish presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2024 13.00 Setting the stage: What…
14 - 15 May 2024
- Conferences
Launch event: Economic Policy beyond the Pandemic in the Nordic countries
Welcome to the launch event of the new report “Economic Policy beyond the Pandemic in the Nordic countries”. The focus will be on evaluating the effectiveness of current fiscal and monetary policies, understanding the challenges facing labour markets, and discussing strategic approaches to economic resilience and recovery. This event aims to facilitate a comprehensive dialogue on the necessary policy adjustments and innovations required to navigate the post-pandemic economic environment effectively. The event is organised together with and hosted by the Swedish Ministry of Finance. Programme: 08.30-09.00: Registration and sandwiches 09.00-09.10: Introduction 09.10-09.40: Nordic fiscal and monetary policy regimes – Are they up to the challenges? 09.40-09.55: Coffee break– 15 mins. 09.55-10.25: Nordic labour markets – What are the key challenges and how should we address them? 10.25-10.55: Panel Debate: Economic policy in times of overlapping crises – What has worked and what should be improved? 10.55-11.00: Concluding remarks Registration: Please note that registration is mandatory. Registration closes April 12th! A link to the stream will be sent to everyone before the event.
16 April 2024
- Publication launch
The Nordic View on Sustainability – lessons and practices
Welcome to this webinar where you will learn about the first ever Nordic Voluntary Sub-National Review of local governments’ efforts to reach the global sustainability goals and Agenda 2030. The “Nordic VSR” is based on a recent survey sent to all Nordic municipalities and regions. In July, Nordregio together with Nordic Local and Regional Government Associations will present it to a global audience at the UN High Level Political Forum in New York. We will share Nordic learnings and show the world that the local level is leading the way. During the webinar, you will be the first to learn more about the preliminary results and recommendations from the Nordic VSR, followed by comments and discussion with key stakeholders, including Nordic municipalities, youth networks and civil society. As our digital audience, you will be able to interact with the speakers throughout the programme via chat and polls. You will also be encouraged to share your success factors, needs and challenges working with the global goals/Agenda 2030 at the local level. Register to the webinar using the form below. The Nordic VSR is produced by Nordregio and an editorial group consisting of:Local Government Denmark (Kommunernes Landsforening – KL)Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities (Kuntaliitto)The Icelandic Association of Local Authorities (Samband)The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS)The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner) Programme Tuesday April 9, 13.00-14.30 (CET) 13:00 – Welcome by Moderator (Åsa Hildestrand, Nordregio) Greeting by Anna Calvete Moreno, UCLG World Secretariat Barcelona: the Nordic VSR as a tool to boost SDG localisation globally About the Nordic VSR, intro by Nordregio – survey and production 13:15 Editorial group presents key recommendations in the Nordic VSR:Eveliina Kiema-Majanen, Kuntaliitto, FinlandAnna G. Björnsdóttir, Samband, IcelandAnne Romsaas, KS, NorwayAnna Eklöf, SKR, Sweden 13:30 Comments by civil society,…
09 April 2024
- Webinar
Nordic urban-rural typology reveals population changes
We are proud to present the Nordic urban-rural typology and a new report with it! This new grid-based Nordic urban-rural typology offers a versatile tool for enhancing spatial planning, policy development and research. Join us as we present how to use it to understand territorial differences, settlement, and population development patterns across the urban-rural continuum. Improved results and analysis on Nordic level The typology uses 1×1 km grid data to categorise territories in the Nordic countries, by urban and rural characteristics. It identifies seven types of areas: ranging from densely populated urban centres, to sparsely populated rural areas. By using this typology as an analytical framework, we have studied demographic trends across the Nordic region and conducted localised analysis, presented in the report that will be launched during the event. Thanks to the statistical data – available on a very detailed level – the urban-rural typology serves as an analytical tool, giving you the possibility to compare population trends and settlement patterns between different types of areas and countries, offering a more detailed spatial analysis than ever. On 19 March, we invite you to a webinar where we will go into depth on why and how we developed this grid-based Nordic territorial typology and then used this typology to conduct comparative analysis across the Nordic countries. The webinar will cover: Possibilities for policy and research Nordic typology shows that many municipalities are at the same time both urban, intermediate, and rural, and in many cases these different categories seem to be undergoing quite different types of development. The typology itself does not communicate any trends, but offers a framework for informed decision-making in spatial planning and policy formulation across the Nordic Region. Analysis enabled by this tool are crucial for crafting effective policies and strategies, especially in adapting to trends such…
19 March 2024
- Publication launch
- Webinar
Meet a local. A Nordic model of community sponsorship for refugees
Community sponsorship programmes aim to support integration of refugees into the new community. Originating from Canada, the model has gained increasing interest throughout Europe in recent years. At this webinar, we will hear about recently launched pilot programmes in the Nordic countries. The Nordic countries have a tradition of organizing resettlement of refugees as a state-run and -sponsored scheme, involving municipalities during the reception and integration phase. The societal model is anchored in a system of free access to social welfare, housing, health care and education. Community sponsorship builds on the idea, that local volunteers and organizations can add to government-assisted integration support and play a central role in welcoming refugees. It supports the integration by engaging citizens and local communities in providing emotional, financial, and practical help to newly arrived refugees. The volunteers are committed to foster inclusion and self-sustainability of refugees but do not have to contribute financially. Recently launched pilot programmes in the Nordic countries are designed for quota refugees within the national resettlement programmes, and in the case of Sweden also for spontaneously arrived refugees with residence permits. Read more about community sponsorship at UNHCR Representation for the Nordic and Baltic countries. At this webinar, we aim to raise awareness, share practical experiences, and discuss the Nordic model of community sponsorship. Speakers join us from organisations and municipalities involved in community sponsorship and similar initiatives in the Nordic countries, as well as from a Danish partnership programme Venner Viser Vej. Programme: 13:00 Welcome and introduction to community-based sponsorship in the NordicsErika Löfgren, UNHCR Representation for the Nordic and Baltic countriesKaisa Kepsu, Integration Norden, Nordic Welfare CentreÅsa Ström Hildestrand, Moderator, Nordregio 13:15 Experiences from the Nordic countriesAnna Gezelius, Danderyd municipality, SwedenSit Elgeel Abdalkreem Abdalrhman Saber, matched newly arrived, Danderyd, SwedenLeigh Neil, welcoming guide, Danderyd, SwedenÞórunn Pálína Jónsdóttir,…
06 March 2024
- Webinar
Meet PREMIUM_EU
How can the individual benefits of migration translate into societal benefits for the left-behind regions? Watch the recording of PREMIUM_EU’s first annual event on 10 April 2024, for a first look at the project’s methodology and projected research results. This webinar dives deep into the brain-drain that affects most rural regions by looking at the drivers that make people move and the regional characteristics that make people stay. Learn about the “The Human Migration Database” and how to leverage social media in mobility data analysis. We also explore how research-based policies might give left-behind regions a new chance to gain back those brains. Programme 09:30-9:45: Introduction to PREMIUM_EU – Leo van Wissen and Anne Katrine Ebbesen 09:45-10:10: The Human Migration Database – leveraging social media and novel data sources – Maciej J. Danko and Jisu Kim 10:10-10:30: Regional Development – The impact of migration policies – Korrie Melis, Elles Bulder and Peter Meister-Broekema 10:30-10:50: How education links mobility to regional development – Dr. Dilek Yildiz and Leo van Wissen 10:50-11:00: Break 11:00-12:00: Panel discussion – A better future for left-behind regions, fuelled by migration?
10 April 2024
- Webinar
Launch: Policy tools for sustainable and healthy eating
Welcome to join us for the launch of the new report “Policy tools for sustainable and healthy eating” that will provide guidance and recommendations for policy interventions to enable dietary shifts. The event will host a discussion with thought leaders and experts on what policies are needed to create enabling food environments for better diets. The event will also connect Nordic cases with international experiences. Current consumption patterns in the Nordic region are not aligned with national dietary guidelines or health and sustainability targets. There is a need to shift diets for a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. This is a global challenge and a necessity for the health of ourselves and the planet. As part of the Nordic Vision project Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems, the Nordic Council of Ministers has cooperated with Nordregio to deliver a research project about the Nordic food environments and behavior change. The research project complements the release of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 (NNR2023) and provides policymakers with proposals and suggestions for policies and interventions that are implementable in the Nordic countries to guide dietary shifts. Speakers More speakers will be announced soon. Sign up here! (Registration is mandatory) The event is open to all stakeholders and is free of charge. Welcome!
14 March 2024
- Publication launch
Symposium: The Public Value of Communication Infrastructures in the Nordics
On 8 February, a symposium hosted by Nordicom and Nordregio brings together experts from the fields of media scholarship, industry, and policy to discuss critical communication infrastructures in the Nordics. The debate will focus on whether the Nordic states are too reliant on tech giants to sustain the critical communication infrastructures of the welfare state. Three panels will discuss the issue from research, policy and industry perspective. You can tune in for the discussion via a live stream on 8 February (11.00-16.00 CET). A recording of the debate will also be available online afterwards. Programme 11:00 Welcome 11:15 Keynote – Gateways: Comparing Digital Communication Systems in Nordic Welfare States 12:00 Break 13:00 Research panel: The preparedness of communication infrastructure in the Nordics 13:40 Policy panel: Regulating critical communication infrastructures in the Nordics 14:20 Break 14:40 Industry panel: The future infrastructure for democracy in the Nordics 15:20 Discussion 16:00 Closing See Nordicom’s website for more information about the symposium. About the symposium The symposium is funded by the research project The Datafication of Communicative Power: Towards an Independent Media Policy for Norway’s Digital Infrastructures, The Research Council of Norway (grant number 314257), led by Professor Helle Sjøvaag at the University of Stavanger, and convened by Nordicom and Nordregio as part of the 2024 Swedish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
08 February 2024
- Webinar
Why should you (not) hire refugees and immigrants?
The Nordic countries are facing labour shortages across various sectors. Still many refugees and immigrants experience difficulties in establishing themselves on the labour market. Why are we in this paradoxical situation? At this webinar, the researchers present the findings of a new report on Employers’ perspectives and experiences from hiring immigrants across the Nordic countries.
15 February 2024
- Publication launch
- Webinar
Beyond the City Limits: Possibilities and uncertainties of remote work
The pandemic posed a shift in work culture and normalised remote work. With the freedom to turn down the urban office setting, workers are presented opportunities for compatible career and lifestyle choices in rural and small-town settings. As we navigate this work-life balance renaissance, questions arise: The shift to remote work has impacted our perception of place and mobility, introducing new needs and challenges. By uncovering how this has changed the work-life balance, planners can use this trend to plan for communities that not only attract but also retain residents. As this is a moving target, we understand that there may be more questions than answers, so we invite you, as Nordic planners and policymakers, to engage with us in dialogue – to not only observe the change, but to use its opportunities. Between 10 – 11 CET on 20 February, we presented case studies of Nordic smaller towns and rural areas and their approach to remote work opportunities. Possibilities and uncertainties in working life trends, demographic development and planning was discussed. Webinar agenda:
20 February 2024
- Publication launch
- Webinar
Arctic Frontiers: Gender Equality in the Blue Economy
For most of the Nordic countries, fisheries and aquaculture are important economic sectors. Their labour markets are however male-dominated, and strongly gender-segregated. Project Salmon & Equality, led by Nordregio, gathers knowledge and statistics on gender equality in fisheries and aquaculture across the Nordic countries. At Arctic Frontiers in Tromsö, we will launch the research report on the topic, and have invited renowned speakers to discuss the issue. Join us on Tuesday 30 January 2024! The aim of the event is to raise increased awareness of the need for gender balance in the business and to share knowledge of effective measures. The event will be centered around Arctic Frontier’s overall theme “Action and Reaction,” and will bring together representatives from politics, industry, and research to engage in a dialogue on gender equality within the fishery and aquaculture sector. Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers Karen Ellemann will open the event, followed by expert talks and panel discussions. Welcome to join our side event at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsö, or join the livestream by signing up to the form below! Researcher and project manager Anna Karlsdóttir will present key findings as well as new policy recommendations covering statistics, harassment, innovation uptake, gender, and governance within the sector. Presentations by: Anna Karlsdottir Associate Professor, Nordregio and University of Iceland Key note speaker: Susanne Mortensen FisherMortensen is a fisher and author of the opinion piece that set in motion the fishing industry’s #Metoo movement, spurring a public debate about harassment and equality. Moderator: Gøril Johansen Chief Executive Officer Pro Tromsø Panelists: Sandra Márjá West, member of Sámi Parliament Ms. Karen Ellemann Secretary General, Nordic Council of Ministers Malgorzata Smieszek-Rice Researcher, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø (UiT) Gunnar Davídsson Head of Resource Management Department, Troms County Council Administration Edgar Henriksen…
30 January 2024
- Conferences
- Publication launch
How can we plan, design, and manage healthy and green Nordic cities?
Watch the event recording here or visit our Youtube channel. This was the launch event of a new handbook that provides a toolbox of methods, models, and guidelines for delivering health-promoting green spaces. The handbook is the culmination of the NORDGREEN project, which develops and implements smart planning and management solutions for well-designed, high-quality green spaces that promote health and well-being. In this launch event, researchers provided tips about using various methods, models, and guidelines for delivering health-promoting green space, and a panel provided inspiration on some success stories emerging from the Nordic Region. Programme Presentations: Panel discussion: Moderator:Annika Östman, Head of Communications, Nordregio
26 January 2024
- Webinar
Exploring the landscape of Digital Inclusion in the Nordic and Baltic Region
Digital advancements in the Nordic and Baltic countries have been impressive, but true progress lies in making digital benefits accessible to all. Watch the recording of our webinar from January 30th, introducing two new reports from the Digital Inclusion in Action project. What political initiatives are put in place in the Nordic and Baltic region to combat digital exclusion? How are the Nordic and Baltic countries keeping track on the national development? And how is the Nordic and Baltic approach both aligning, both also differentiating from the European DESI approach? The political ambitions regarding digital inclusion in the region have increased exponentially with more than 20 new policies and strategies being published in just over two years – and more are under way. In this recorded webinar we take the pulse on the digital inclusion landscape in the Nordic and Baltic countries, with the launch of our two publications: Watch the recording to learn more about the synergies and differences in the political initiatives and monitoring practices taken to combat digital exclusion in the Nordic and Baltic region! The event was co-organised by Nordregio and Digital Europe. Agenda:
30 January 2024
- Webinar
Between hand-outs and stand-outs: The dynamics between rural actors and national goals in Nordic green transitions
Renewable energy projects, with their considerable demand on land use, are rapidly changing the Nordic rural landscapes. At the same time, many people living in the impact area of new instalments feel that national green transition policies put a disproportionately heavy toll on rural people. The resulting sense of powerlessness leads to a heavy resistance that is difficult to solve when a project is already underway. How can we ensure that national and local policymakers recognise the potency of rural actors and engage them in a meaningful manner? How could they create policies that help harness the potential of green transitions instead of dumping them on rural areas in a top-down manner? Welcome to our webinar and discussion on 11 December at 14-15.30 CET! This event presents the policy recommendations drawn from the report Can local value creation induce a sense of justice during green transitions? and discusses them in the context of examples from other Nordic regions. The discussion will focus on concrete steps that both rural actors and national and regional policymakers can take to ensure a more just energy transition in the future. We will tap into the viewpoints of both research and local action groups. Programme Discussants: Panel discussion: We welcome the audience to participate with their questions to the panel! The research project A Just Green Transition in rural areas: local benefits from value creation has analysed the possible benefits and barriers in the context of six case studies in rural regions in Denmark, Finland, and Norway. The project is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers’s Thematic Group for Green and Inclusive Rural Development in the Nordics.
11 December 2023
- Webinar
ARENA: What is the role of the regional authority in tackling grand societal challenges?
ARENA is a space designed to be a hub for knowledge exchange on green, innovative, and resilient regions among key experts in the various fields of research, policy, and practice in the Nordic countries and beyond. This session aims at sparking a debate on what the role of the regional authority is, or should be, in spearheading major transformations. In recent years, the ‘mission-oriented policy approach’ has gained significant attention in political and academic discourse. This new policy approach means pulling resources and science together in a new way to address some of today’s grand societal challenges and to promote transformative change. However, this has sparked a debate about the risks connected to directionality. This is particularly clear in innovation policy, whether such directionality is narrowing the scope of innovation, and whether it introduces place-blind, top-down approaches. To disentangle this debate, speakers will be invited to, first, take a step back and guide us through the functions that regional authorities play in national government systems before delving into what arguably is the emerging position of regions as ‘drivers of change’. Afterwards, there will be a panel discussion and an opportunity for the audience to participate. Speakers: Moderator: We welcome the audience to participate in the discussion with their questions and comments to the panel!
14 November 2023
- Webinar
Fiscal stabilizers in Nordic countries: Nordic Economic Policy Review Conference
The ongoing 21st century has brought with it a series of big global shocks the management of which has posed severe policy challenges, not least for fiscal stabilization and stability of public finances. Nordic countries are no exception to the rule. Have conventional fiscal stabilizers, most notably fiscal multipliers and automatic stabilizers remained stable over time and in the face of these shocks? Furthermore, since macroeconomic uncertainty has arguably increased due to the series of big shocks alluded to above, can we observe new features in the interplay between discretionary fiscal policy decisions and fiscal multipliers and automatic stabilizers? These are some of the issues that will be presented and discussed during this peer-review conference of the upcoming Nordic Economic Policy Review. The conference will take place in Reykjavik and online on the 8th of November. The seminar will address questions like: We invite you to a full day with presentations of recent research by leading Nordic experts, comments by academics and policymakers, and policy discussions. We offer coffee and a light lunch for all onsite participants. Agenda November 8, 2023 8:30 – 9:00: Coffee and registration 9:00 – 9:05: Welcome remarks 9:05 – 10:15: Fiscal stabilizers in Iceland Presentation by Arnaldur Sölvi Kristjánsson, University of Iceland Discussants: Gunnar Haraldsson, Icelandic Fiscal Council Katrín Ólafsdóttir, Reykjavik University 10:15 – 10:30: Coffee break 10:30 – 11:45: Fiscal stabilizers in Denmark …
08 November 2023
- Conferences
Climate Action & Economic Well-being – is there a trade-off?
First report in the project: Ensuring inclusive economic growth in the transition to a green economy (EnIGG) Ever wondered how climate policies might impact your cost of living? Watch the recorded webinar, our watch it via our YouTube channel. In this webinar, we presented our recently launched report: “What impact do climate change policies have on Nordic economies, industries, and households?” Guided by our moderator Kirsi Heikel, Senior Advisor at Miltton, we are shedding light on the intricate interplay between climate mitigation efforts and the everyday costs of living in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Whether you’re a climate activist, a policymaker, or just curious about the future, this event will reveal the newest insights on how climate policies impact all of us economically. Presentations by: Panelists:
24 October 2023
- Webinar
5G Matchmaking Event: 5G in Media and Broadcasting
Our fourth 5G matchmaking event will take place on the 20th of September, from 14-15.30 CET. The spotlight will be on media and broadcasting. Join us for an exciting event where we delve into the game-changing potential of 5G technology in the media and broadcast industry. 5G opens up a world of possibilities for content creators and broadcasters, offering faster, more immersive, and more personalised experiences to viewers. Our speakers: Join us on September 20th to gain valuable insights from industry experts, network with like-minded professionals, and showcase your own specific 5G matchmaking needs! After the keynote speeches, we will move on to breakout rooms and discuss:
20 September 2023
- Webinar
Webinars on the Future of Urban Agriculture
Join this webinar series that will explore the multifaceted realm of urban agriculture. Delve into the intersections of innovation and legislation, culture, and education and science, and discover how they collectively shape the future of urban farming. Whether you are an urban agriculture enthusiast, policy-maker, community leader, educator, or simply curious about the future of our cities, these webinars offer a unique opportunity to gain insights, share experiences, and contribute to the ongoing transformation of urban agriculture. We look forward to your presence at these enlightening events as we collectively cultivate a sustainable and vibrant urban future. Webinar 1: “Cultivating Change: The Future of Urban Agriculture in the Nexus of Innovation and Legislation” When: Jun 8, 2023 11:00 AM Riga/Helsinki Register in advance for this webinar: https://ej.uz/f3bu In this webinar, we will unravel the transformative power of innovation and legislation in urban agriculture. Explore cutting-edge technologies, practices, and policies that are revolutionizing urban farming. Gain insights into how innovation maximizes food production, enhances sustainability, and ensures resilience. Discover the crucial role of legislation in creating an enabling environment for urban agriculture to flourish. Join us to be part of the conversation shaping the future of our cities through urban farming. Webinar 2: “Cultivating Community: The Future of Urban Agriculture in Connection with Culture” When: Jun 8, 2023 02:00 PM Riga/Helsinki Register in advance for this webinar: https://ej.uz/c52y Join us for an inspiring webinar that explores the profound relationship between urban agriculture, culture, and community-building. Discover how urban agriculture can strengthen community ties, celebrate cultural diversity, and foster social cohesion. Learn about the transformative power of community gardens, rooftop farms, and urban farming projects in promoting healthy lifestyles, preserving cultural heritage, and connecting people with nature. Be part of this conversation as we cultivate vibrant communities through the lens of culture and urban…
08 - 09 June 2023
- Webinar
EU versus National Climate Policies in the Nordics
In 2021, the EU decided to set more ambitious targets for the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions, including a 55% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. This issue of Nordic Economic Policy Review explores the implications of this new Fit for 55 package for the Nordic countries.
08 May 2023
- Publication launch
Nordregio at Ungdommens Folkemøde NORD
Nordregio and the Youth for Sustainable Living project will be present during Ungdommens Folkemøde NORD in Copenhagen on 21-22 April. Through funding from Sustainable Living, four youth organisations will participate and promote different aspects of sustainability during the event. ReGeneration 2030 You have the power to fight for a better future! We need collective youth power for system change, and ReGeneration 2030 will help you to find a role in the sustainability movement that suits you. Learn more about tangible actions and find out more about different youth sustainability organisations in different regions, and participate in creating an interactive artwork piece in the container to demonstrate your commitment to fighting climate change collectively. Visit their container: Friday at 14-19 and Saturday at 13-19, Sustainability & Future theme area. Listen to their talk: Friday, April 21, at 17-17.30, Sustainability & Future stage. ReGeneration 2030 is a youth movement for sustainability in the Nordic and Baltic Sea region, bringing activists aged 15-30 from across the region together to share knowledge and strategize. ReGeneration 2030 is on a mission to fight climate collapse and build a sustainable future for all. Tænketanken Frej Can we on the one hand be climate heroes who lead the way and on the other hand, be some of those who burden the planet the most? Tænketanken Frej focuses on food consumption and changes in food culture among young people. Is it really up to the individual to make a difference, or is it up to the system and political regulation to change the world? The panel debate on the stage engages several representatives and involves the audience. In their container, you can pop by for legume bingo, taste plant-based drink options and get to know more about their climate footprint. Visit their container: Friday at 14-19 and Saturday…
21 - 22 April 2023
- Conferences
- Other
Agenda 2030: Empowering youth for more sustainable communities
Youth engagement has become a priority issue for local decision-makers who strive to create more sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant communities, in line with the global Agenda 2030. But how can municipalities reach and engage youth? How can youth have real influence over decisions that concern them? How do you set expectations right and follow up in an inclusive way? Many Nordic municipalities have developed practical tools, event formats, and processes that ensure systematic engagement and follow-up. Learn more about these examples, and ask your questions during the webinar with the following featured municipalities and NGO’s: The event is part of Nordregio’s peer-to-peer learning project to support the implementation of Agenda 2030 at the local level across the Nordics. The project is financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
26 April 2023
- Webinar
Policy workshop: Integrating Climate into Macroeconomic Modelling
How to use models to make informed policy decisions: Tracking progress towards Fit for 55 and REPowerEU The goal of the workshop series is to facilitate exchange on the current challenges in relation to the use of modelling tools in each stage of the policy cycle, design, planning and evaluation. This second policy workshop focuses on the monitoring interface from the perspective of policy makers and modellers. It discusses how such interface could be improved in the future. Using the new EU Energy Directive as a framing policy, the examples presented and discussed in the workshop will illustrate how counterfactual analyses can support decision making processes on energy taxation and subsidies. The presentations will also shed light on the challenges of multilevel governance structures involving local, national and EU levels, often with disconnected goals and challenges. The framing policy questions are as follows: How to use models to make informed policy decisions (decide on what to do and how to do it at various levels)? How to use models to evaluate policy decisions (monitoring and evaluation)? Agenda 13:00 Welcoming words from the Integrating Climate into Macroeconomic Modelling (ICMM) Project 13:05 Using models to make informed policy decisions: Overarching comments drawing on Finland’s national climate policy Magnus Cederlöf (Senior advisor at the Ministry of Environment in Finland; member of the Nordic Working Group on Environment and Economy) 13:20 Trade-off between assessing policy compliance vs providing insights to policy makers: Case study1: Saving energy or saving effort? Decomposing effect of an energy savings policy Case study 2: How time affects the quality of new model results and the value of new model results to policy makers differently Kristoffer Steen Andersen (Danish Energy Agency) 13:50 Short break 13:55 Open Debate 14:25 Wrapping up and practical information 14:30 Meet the expert session …
27 March 2023
- Webinar
ARENA: Who drives the ‘Green innovation’?
A systems approach to green innovation: the case of wood construction Green innovations contribute to implementing the so-called ‘green agenda’ or ‘green transition’. On a broader scale, they are meant to address issues emerging from environmental crisis. But who is driving green innovation processes, and what enables or hinders the green transition? Welcome to the digital seminar and discussion on the 20th of March, 10:00-11:30 CET. This event launches a publication ‘Innovation Dynamics in Wood Construction in Sweden and Finland’ and uses it as a springboard to discuss the complexity around innovation in (green) industry transitions. The discussion will feature different perspectives on green innovations in the wood sector. Programme Presentation of the historical evolution of innovation policy and its academic debate: Mari Wøien Meijer, Research Fellow, Nordregio. The presentation is available here. Presentation of the case study report: Alberto Giacometti & Hilma Salonen, researchers, Nordregio. The presentation is available here. Commentators: Therese Kreisel, Head of Urban Planning, Skellefteå Municipality Ida Andersson, Senior Lecturer at Örebro University Moderator: Anna Lundgren, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio Discussion: We welcome the audience to participate with their questions to the panel! About the project The research project ‘Systems perspectives on Regional Green Innovation’, investigates the link between agency and innovation and particularly the role of different actors in driving transition processes. During the first stage, we explored key concepts, their application, and theoretical foundations within innovation and policy traditions. The next steps in this project will consist of identifying key learnings to inform policy makers on how to support innovation in green industrial transitions. The project is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers Regional Cooperation programme.
20 March 2023
- Webinar
Nordic workshop: Behaviour change for sustainable food consumption
What can be done to shift Nordic diets to become healthier and more sustainable? What policies can enable behaviour change among Nordic citizens to adopt better diets? Join us in this Nordic workshop for discussions and insights about measures that can facilitate change in people’s behaviour, as well as structural factors affecting the implementation of sustainable and healthy dietary guidelines. The purpose of this workshop is to provide insights on and discuss measures that can stimulate behavioral change among consumers when it comes to food choices and dietary habits, as well as contribute to implementation of the upcoming Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR2022). Registration is now open. When registering, please indicate whether you will attend physically in Stockholm or online. Register here!
29 March 2023
- Workshop
Digital launch of Nordregio Forum!
Did you miss an opportunity to join an in-person Nordregio Forum last November? During the past forum, we delved into the green transition topic and what it means for jobs and cities in the Nordic region. But what happened in Hamar does not need to stay only in Hamar. We would like to share inspirational keynotes, discussions and Nordic examples with you! Three steps towards the digital launch: Sign up for a digital launch of Nordregio Forum; On 31 January, check your e-mail inbox just before lunch (Stockholm time); Reserve a few hours to explore Nordic ideas on addressing the green transition challenges in the labour market and the cities. Mismatch in the labour market Nordic labour markets are challenged by a number of trends, of which the ageing population, digitalization, mismatch between competencies available vs needed, and the green transition stick out as perhaps the most important. How can regions adapt to demographic challenges, and rapid social and technological changes in the labour market? How can we achieve regional labour markets that are both sustainable and inclusive? What does the green transition mean to different regional labour markets? During the inspirational keynote, meet Even Aleksander Hagen (Innlandet County Mayor) – the youngest mayor in Norway with a strong vision on how to develop the inclusive and sustainable region of Innlandet. The panel discussion will set the scene on what kind of labour mismatches exist. Why? And what are the potential solutions? A variety of angles are discussed by researchers and practitioners from all around the Nordics, among others Marit Lofnes Mellingen (The Centre of Competence on Rural Development, Norway), Kresten Olesen (RegLab, Denmark), Jukka Teräs (Norrum Oy, Finland) and Jimmy Sand (The Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research/NIKK – Nordic Information on Gender, University of Gothenburg). The research insights session overviews the status quo and potential of Nordic competence mobility by Anna Lundgren and Ágúst Bogason (Nordregio). Nordic Solutions invites you on an inspiring…
31 January 2023
- Nordregio forum
Service provision and access to services in Nordic rural areas
Service provision is one of the key factors that make rural areas attractive and viable. Nordregio’s new report on the issue, “Service provision and access to services in Nordic rural areas,” aims to create knowledge and inspire actors in and around the Nordic rural areas. We invite you to participate in a workshop on 16 February, where we will present the report results and discuss and develop new policy recommendations. What: Workshop on service provision and access to services in Nordic rural areasWhen: 16 February, 14-15.30 CETWhere: Online (Zoom link will be sent to participants after registration) Preliminary agenda 14.00: Introduction and presentation of the report – Ágúst Bogason, Research Fellow at Nordregio14.20: Breakout rooms and time for discussion of the policy recommendations15.15: Wrap up
16 February 2023
- Webinar
CITY TALKS 1-2-3: Espoo, Täby, and Stavanger share experiences on green urban planning
Did you miss our latest and final webinar in the series? Watch our recording of it above. NORDGREEN – Smart Planning for Healthy and Green Nordic Cities project invites Nordic city planners and developers, architects, healthcare sector representatives and governance enthusiasts to join Friday morning webinar series CITY TALK 1-2-3 where four cities share learning on: CITY TALKS 1-2-3 CITY TALK 1: Engaging youth in planning – Espoo broke all records with an online tool10 February 2023, 9.00-10.00 CET (+1h in FI)Aalto University, City of Espoo, Nordregio This webinar shares how the city of Espoo gathered over 6,000 respondents of which over 2,000 were children and youth. This led to over 70,000 map markings via PPGIS surveys making this the largest citizen survey ever made in Finland. How did Espoo manage to work with schools and activate the youth? In this webinar, Espoo shares its success factors, which lie mainly in the process and smart collaboration. CITY TALK 2: How to use and connect green space and health indicators in city planning28 April 2023, 9.00-10.00 CET (+1h in FI)Norwegian University of Life Sciences NMBU, City of Täby, Nordregio Local authorities need knowledge, tools, and indicators in order to develop and manage green spaces in a way that can effectively promote health and well-being for the urban dweller. During this city talk, the researchers and planners share their experiences and discuss the use and applicability of objective and perceived green space and health indicators for planning purposes. CITY TALK 3: How can green space improve health? Stavanger explores new design methods22 September 2023, 9.00-10.00 CET (+1h FI)Nordregio, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU, The City of Stavanger In this webinar, researchers present evidence and evidence-based models for green space design – What kind of health-promoting aspects does green space planning…
22 September 2023
- Webinar
FUME: Policy workshop on migration drivers and scenarios
Today, approximately 3.4% of the world’s population are international migrants – they have left the country they were born in and settled in a new country. Population growth, increased mobility through rising income in poorer countries, political unrest and climate change are among the factors that are expected to expand the group of people moving from one place to another. The question is, to what extent do these factors affect the motivation to migrate and the choice of destination? The policy workshop aims to gather researchers, policy makers and organisations engaged with the migration topic, to hear about the latest studies on migration drivers and scenarios, as well as contribute to the development of policy recommendations. Nordregio hosts the workshop which is a part of the Horizon 2020 project FUME – Future migration scenarios for Europe. FUME focuses on understanding the patterns, motivations and modalities of migration at multiple geographical scales, from international through regional to the local level, and on imagining possible futures scenarios of migration to Europe: https://futuremigration.eu/about-us/ Registration: Click here to register for the event Venue: Online Date and Time: 13 January 2023, 9:30 – 12:00 CET Length: 2 hours 15 min Preliminary programme INTRODUCTION PART 1 – MIGRATION DRIVERS PART 2 – DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FUME Policy recommendationsTimothy Heleniak & Nora Sánchez Gassen, Nordregio Panel discussion: Next steps
13 January 2023
- Workshop
Can digital tools reduce loneliness among older adults?
Experiences from three Swedish cities and Nordic research Welcome to join Nordregio and the Nordic Welfare Centre in a discussion about tools to reduce loneliness among older adults. This a timely topic post-Covid-19, which in many ways increased the social isolation among seniors. The point of departure is a new report by Nordregio, showcasing three municipalities using digital tools in elderly care – and what we can learn from their experiences. Many older adults in the Nordics feel lonely and socially isolated. Sometimes even when they live in special homes for the elderly. This has negative effects on their mental and physical health – and was further exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic when social isolation became the order of the day. The use of digital technologies within elderly care has the potential to combat social isolation, for instance, by increasing access to care services and social activities. But, until now, we have limited knowledge of the effectiveness of digital interventions. In a new report, Nordregio investigated the use of digital technologies within home care services and in caring homes in three case study municipalities in Sweden: Huddinge, Eskilstuna, and Storuman. The focus is mainly on challenges, opportunities, and solutions that have emerged during the covid-19 pandemic. The webinar will be held on 7 December 2022, 13:00-14:15 CET on Zoom. Programme 13:00 – 14:15 CET 13.00 Welcome to the programme Moderator Åsa Ström Hildestrand, Head of Communications, Nordregio 13.05 Presentation of the new report – main findings: Reducing loneliness among older adults in times of covid-19 and beyond: Experiences from three Swedish Municipalities (REDLON)Johanna Jokinen, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio Q&A with moderator and Audience 13.30 Comments on the report findings from the Nordic Welfare Centre and their project Loneliness and Social Isolation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: How can we prevent negative feelings…
07 December 2022
- Webinar
How can rural areas benefit from the green transition? Local energy, land-use, and value creation
How can rural areas benefit from the green transition? Local energy, land-use, and value creation 27 September, 13.00-15.00 CET (webinar) Registration has closed. If you want to join, contact Pipsa Salolammi (at nordregio.org) Rural areas play a vital role in the green transition. That is where most natural resources are located. Still, many communities don’t benefit enough from local green energy solutions. This can reduce the support for the green transition and lead to lost opportunities. So, how could national policies and regional practices address this issue and ensure local gains from local resources? To spur discussion on a Nordic level, The Nordic Thematic group of Green and Inclusive rural regional development welcome you to a webinar on 27 September, @13-15:00 CET on Zoom. Join our Nordic experts for an afternoon about the green transition and its effects on rural areas – focusing on solutions for an inclusive and just transition. WEBINAR PROGRAMME 27 September, at 13-15:00 CEST, Zoom (link will be sent after registration) Moderator Anna Karlsdottir, Senior Research Fellow and project manager at Nordregio gives insights into the latest findings in the discussion paper A Just Green Transition” for rural areas: key concepts and implications in the Nordic Region, and asks speakers to reflect on this and give new perspectives to this topic. Lise Nielson, Senior Advisor, Nordic Energy Research Irene Kuhmonen, Project researcher and PhD candidate at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland Ásdís Hlökk Theodórsdóttir, former CEO of the Icelandic planning agency (Skipulagsstofnun) & Adjunct at the University of Iceland. Johanna Liljenfeldt, Senior Lecturer in Energy Transition, Uppsala university (Gotland section) Sweden Steffen Damsgaard, Chair for the joint council of Denmark’s rural districts/Danmarks Landdistrikts fællesråd. This webinar is part of the project A Just Green Transition in Rural Areas with focus on Local benefits from Value creation of renewable…
27 September 2022
- Webinar
Nordregio Forum 2022: Changing Labour Markets and Greener Communities
Welcome to Hamar, Norway on November 23-24 and join us for inspirational talks, policy workshops, study tours and new research insights on timely regional development topics – mismatch in the labour market and communities in the green transition. Changing Labour Markets and Greener Communities: To adapt, or to transform? The Nordic countries are currently experiencing a shortage of qualified labour in many sectors. At the same time, some countries face a long-term unemployment issue driven by the mismatch of skills and available jobs. How can regions adapt to demographic challenges and rapid social and technological changes in the labour market? Re-starting competence mobility might be one of the answers. Mobility, urbanization and climate change are also creating the winds of change for cities: How will cities adapt and evolve to become greener, healthier, and inclusive? More information about the programme and registration will be available from mid-September. Nordregio Forum is the annual meeting place for professionals and policymakers working with regional, rural and urban development in the Nordic countries. It is a forum for exchanging ideas and trends, sharing new knowledge, examples and experiences, and pushing national and regional policy agendas while learning from each other.
23 - 24 November 2022
- Nordregio forum
Agenda 2030: Workshops & matchmaking for Nordic municipalities in Stockholm
Agenda 2030 for municipalities: Welcome to Nordic matchmaking in Stockholm! We welcome Nordic municipalities to Stockholm 13-14 October to make this the decade of action! Whether you are just getting started or already well on the way with SDG implementation – join us for this two-day event of practical workshops, networking, and matchmaking activities. The aim is to take your SDG work to the next level through peer-to-peer learning! When: Thursday-Friday 13-14 October, 2022 (lunch to lunch) Where: Stockholm, Nordregio's premises Whom: Representatives from municipalities and regions working with Agenda 2030 Price: Free of charge. Travel reimbursements are available for participation in matchmaking activities. Organizers: Nordregio, in collaboration with SKR/ Glokala Sverige, KS, KL, Kuntaliitto and Samband PROGRAMME 13 October workshops: No PowerPoint marathons but hands-on workshops – bring your laptops! Based on our summer survey, the topics will include: governance and steering, citizen and other stakeholder engagement, indicators and monitoring, climate policies and the SDGs. There is still room for more ideas so let us know in the registration form. The workshops will be followed by social events in the evening, including dinner and inspirational talks. 14 October matchmaking: On the second day, we will continue with in-depth matchmaking activities; This is a unique opportunity for municipalities to build relationships with other Nordic municipalities and enable mutual learning and collaboration. Register for the workshops and matchmaking session by the 26th of September via the link below. There is a limited number of places available, so the “first come – first served” principle applies. Nordregio confirms all registrations within a few days. If you are not able to join us 13-14 October, but interested in the matchmaking activities which will continue in 2023, please fill in the registration form and tick the suitable box. You may still be able to join the process. REGISTER: https://www.lyyti.in/Agenda_2030_Workshops_matchmaking_for_Nordic_municipalities_in_Stockholm_3991 Why join the matchmaking?…
13 - 14 October 2022
- Workshop
Combatting energy poverty in times of crisis
Online 19 September 10.00-11.30 CET Europe has endured a great deal of complication this past year. As the impacts of COVID-19 linger and the war in Ukraine continues, energy agencies and public authorities within the EU wrestle with how such crises affect the already complex work of tackling energy poverty. In this final event for the Social Green project, partners will reflect on the challenges facing green retrofit policy instruments and exchange knowledge about their current work to combat energy poverty within Spain, Romania, and Croatia. This event is open to policymakers supporting the renovation wave, local and regional authorities/energy agencies working with green retrofits, and all who are interested in improving the situation for energy poor households. Agenda 10:00-10:05 CET Welcome and introduction, Johannes Lidmo (Social Green Project Coordinator, Nordregio) 10:05-10:15 The Social Green project in summary: Learnings from final report, Lisa Rohrer (Nordregio) 10:15-10:57 Social Green regional partners on their main lessons learned: combatting energy poverty in times of Covid-19 pandemic. Challenges regarding Energy Poverty during the pandemic in South Muntenia region, Andrei Georgescu, (Regional Development Agency South Muntenia, Romania) Recovery Funds, an opportunity to boost the energy renovation process in Extremadura region, Ana Martínez, (Agenex – Extremadura Energy Agency, Spain) Tudor Drambarean, Alba Iulia Municipality (Romania) The role of solar PV in reducing the risk of energy poverty, Ivan Šimić (Regional Energy Agency North, Croatia) 10:57-11:07 Building resilience while combating energy poverty in Europe Dr. Saska Petrova, Senior Lecturer at Department of Geography, University of Manchester 11:07-11:27 Panel discussion with all Social Green partners and external speaker, moderated by Johannes Lidmo (Nordregio) 11:27-11:30 Wrap up This is the final event of the fifth-call activities of the Interreg Europe Social Green project (2021-2022). Register here: https://www.lyyti.in/Combatting_energy_poverty_in_times_of_crisis_4748
19 September 2022
- Webinar
20 June: How can welfare institutes collaborate for regional development?
The idea behind the concept of WIiSPA – Welfare Institutes in Sparsely Populated Areas – is that reliable welfare services are a prerequisite for regional development, especially in rural areas. Another goal of the creation of WIiSPAs in the Nordics is to promote the exchange of expertise and experiences between WIiSPAs across the Nordic Region. Since sparsely populated areas often face similar challenges, such a cross-Nordic WIiSPAs network could support the spread of effective solutions – and encourage scale-up. Welcome to learn more and discuss the role of WIiSPAs and how they could collaborate for regional development on 20 June at the webinar launch of our new report, hosted by Nordregio and Nordic Welfare Centre. Webinar programme 20 June, 10:00–11:00 CET, on Zoom 10:00 Welcome to the Webinar, intro to the topic: Åsa Ström Hildestrand, Nordregio, moderator 10:05 Johanna Jokinen, Senior Research Fellow; Nordregio – presents the new report 10:20 Heidi Hodge, PhD candidate, Central Queensland University, Australia – WIiSPA perspectives from Down-Under 10:30 Halldór S. Guðmundsson, Associate Professor in Social Work, Faculty of Social Work, University of Iceland – comments on the report 10:35 Peter Berggren, Medical Doctor focused on health care provision in remote areas of Region Västerbotten, Sweden – comments on the report 10:40 Discussion/Q&A with the audience via Zoom chat function – all speakers 10:55 Bengt Andersson, Senior Advisor Welfare Technology, Nordic Welfare Center – concluding remarks and next steps Read WIiSPA working paper here. About the WIiSPA project The concept of Welfare Institutes in Sparsely Populated Areas (WIiSPA) has been used during the last few years, in close connection to the project Healthcare and Care with Distance-Spanning Solutions (Vård och omsorg på distans, or VOPD). The VOPD project was initiated by the Swedish chairmanship of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2018. It was led by…
20 June 2022
- Webinar
COVID-19 effects on the economy in the Nordics – Nordic Economic Policy Review 2022
The Nordic countries weathered the COVID-19 pandemic relatively well compared to most other high-income countries, both in terms of public health and economic repercussions. Infection and excess mortality rates were comparatively low in the Nordic Region, except in Sweden, where they relied more on recommendations and guidelines than mandatory measures to contain the spread of the virus. The fall in GDP was also comparatively small and short-lived in all of the countries except Iceland, where tourism plays a more prominent role in the economy. This issue of the Nordic Economic Policy Review surveys the economic repercussions of the pandemic and the health and economic policies introduced to minimise its impact in the Nordic countries. Although national policies were broadly similar, they also differed in many respects. Given that some enjoyed greater success than others, comparing different policies and their effects may yield valuable lessons for the future. We welcome you to the launch of the 2022 issue of Nordic Economic Policy Review on 8 June at the Nordic Culture Point in Helsinki. Here you will hear three of the authors present their articles as well as an expert panel. PROGRAMME 09.00 – 09.55 Coffee 10.00 – 10.05 Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services, Mr Aki Lindén 10.05 – 10.10 Harry Flam, professor emeritus and editor 10.10 – 10.25 Torben Andersen, University of Aarhus 10.25 – 10.40 Lars Hultkrantz, School of Business, Örebro University 10.40 – 10.55 Kristiina Huttunen, Aalto University School of Business Questions after each presentation 11.00 – 11.30 Panel: Joakim Sonnegård, Swedish Corona commission; Seppo Honkapohja, Aalto University School of Business; and Heli Koski, ETLA Moderator: Oskar Nordström Skans, professor and co-editor 11.30 – 12.00 Light lunch Where: Nordic Culture Point, Kaisaniemenkatu 9, Helsinki When: 8 June 2022, 10.00 – 11.30 EEST / 9.00 – 10.30 CEST The event will be live-streamed…
08 June 2022
- Publication launch
Join Nordregio at Urban Future & H22 sustainable cities expo in Helsingborg
In June, Helsingborg is the hot spot of urban brilliance and sustainability. Several events gather a wide range of global and Nordic city planners and practitioners to Helsingborg to take part in the H22 Expo, UN-ECE cities dialogue meeting, and the Urban Future conference 2022 (UF22). Nordregio is co-hosting two Agenda 2030 events and an all-day booth at the conference venue from 1-2 June. We would like to invite all our stakeholders to join the Urban Future conference at a special price, see more below! And join the UN-ECE dialogue meeting for free. 1 June @ 14:00-15:30 Workshop room HAFI at Clarion Hotel SeaU Workshop: Successfully implementing Agenda 2030: Three Nordic frontrunner cities share their best tips and tools We know the SDGs require local implementation to make a difference for people and planet. But it’s not always easy to translate the goals into local contexts, strategies, and steering tools while engaging citizens and measuring progress. Nordregio has been supporting Nordic peer-to-peer learning on Agenda 2030 since 2018. This workshop features hands-on learning from three Nordic frontrunners: Ville Taajamaa (City of Espoo), Helen Wiklund (City of Helsingborg), Lisbeth Iversen (City of Arendal). This is your opportunity to bug the people behind the cities’ activities with whatever implementation questions you might have. Also, Hannah Wadman will inspire you to join the Nordic City Network! Moderator: Åsa Ström Hildestrand (Nordregio). 1-2 June, Come and meet Nordregio & Nordic City Network Welcome to the lounge area in the expo area of UF22! We would love to talk more about the SDGs and the Nordic Agenda 2030 network. 31 May – 1 June: The H22 +50 Session and Dialogue of Eminent Experts on smart, sustainable, and inclusive cities. Nordregio is honored to moderate two sessions on the 1st of June, during the dialogue meeting organised by UN-ECE. These…
31 - 01 June 2022
- Other
Selvforsyning af fødevarer i fem nordiske øsamfund
Hvordan kan en øget selvforsyning af fødevarer bidrage til at skabe mere bæredygtige og resiliente fødevaresystemer? Det spørgsmål har Nordregio, Norsk institutt for bioøkonomi (NIBIO) og Búnaðarstovan på Færøerne undersøgt i projektet “Selvforsyning af fødevarer i nordiske øsamfund” i de fem nordiske øsamfund Bornholm, Færøerne, Grønland, Island og Åland. På webinaret vil vi præsentere resultaterne fra projektet som har fokuseret på at udregne selvforsyningsgraden og dækningsgraden for de fem samfund, at beskrive udfordringer og muligheder ved en øget selvforsyningsgrad, fremtage gode eksempler fra hvert øsamfund, og belyse hvilke potentielle konsekvenser for bæredygtigheden af de lokale fødevaresystemer som øget selvforsyning kan have. Siden projektets afslutning har dette spørgsmål fået fornyet relevans og fokus i den offentlige debat som en konsekvens af krigen i Ukraine. Projektet er initieret af småsamfundsgruppen under den nordiske arbejdsgruppe for cirkulær økonomi og udført med finansiering fra Nordisk Ministerråd. Webinaret finder sted torsdag 5. maj fra 10:30-11:30 CET i Zoom og afholdes på skandinavisk. PROGRAM 10.30 Velkommen 10.35 Præsentation af projektets resultater v/ Louise Ormstrup Vestergård, Research Fellow, Nordregio Lars Johan Rustad, Afdelingsleder, Landbruksøkonomisk analyse, NIBIO Tróndur Gilli Leivsson, Direktør, Landbrugsstyrelsen på Færøerne 11.00 Paneldiskussion med udgangspunkt i projektets resultater inkl. tid til spørgsmål fra deltagerne. Paneldeltagere: Anna Guðrún Edvardsdóttir, forsker, Hólar Universitet i Island Sue Holmström, Direktør, Ålands Producentförbund Katrine Høst, landskabsforvalter, Bornholms Regionskommune 11.30 Tak for nu Læs publikationen: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2022-528/# Se webinaret (optagelse): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm_qB4vPbtA
05 May 2022
- Webinar
ARENA: Remote work – What does it mean for people, places and planning?
OPEN TG ARENA: Remote work – What does it mean for people, places and planning? 10 May, 14.00-15.30 CET, online (register via link on the side) Nordregio launches a new report about the implications of increased remote work for regional development and planning in cities, regions and rural areas? Nordic experts join the event and give an overview of the urban exodus in Stockholm and remote work patterns in Finland. PROGRAMME 10 May, 14.00-15.30 CET Part 1: Launching the report Remote work: Effects on Nordic people, places and planning – Nordic knowledge overview by Linda Randall, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio Followed by commentary remarks from Paula Mikkola, representative of the cross-border committees and the Nordic thematic group for Green and Inclusive Rural Development Part 2: Practical implications – Changes in the mobility patterns in the Nordics Urban exodus in Covid times: Who moves out of the inner city of Stockholm and where do they go? Louisa Vogiazides, Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Human Geography at the Stockholm University Uncovering multi-locality and remote work patterns in Finland: Where do people actually spend their time? Kati Pitkänen, PhD, docent, Senior researcher, Finnish Environment Institute SYKE Followed by commentary remarks from Nanna Bay Sønderbæk, representative of the Danish Ministry of Interior and housing, and the Nordic thematic group Green and Inclusive Urban Development in the Nordics, Open discussion and you can use the chat function to ask questions!
10 May 2022
- Webinar
Webinar: Multilevel governance for green and inclusive urban development in the Nordic Region
Efforts toward socially inclusive and green development have become cornerstones of regional and urban policy throughout the Nordic Region. This is reflected in a wide range of national strategies, frameworks, funding schemes and action plans to promote cross-cutting sustainability objectives, but how are these operationalised at the local level? In this webinar, we bring together national, regional, and local representatives to exchange knowledge about ongoing initiatives, practices, and discuss how multilevel governance cooperation can be enhanced within and across the Nordic countries. When: 20 April, 12.30-14.15 CET Where: Zoom Programme 12:30 – WelcomeIntroduction of the Nordic Cooperation & the Nordic Thematic Group for Green and Inclusive Urban Development.Current projects in the programme will be presented:– National support initiatives– Planning for socially mixed and inclusive neighbourhoodsMats Stjernberg, Johannes Lidmo and Diana N. Huynh, Nordregio 12.45 – Green development in the Nordic countriesThree examples of national-level green initiatives:– Klimasats, Miljødirektoraktet (Norwegian Environment Agency), NO– DK2020, Concito, DK– Klimatklivet, Naturvårdsverket (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency), SE 13:05 – Inclusive development in the Nordic countries Two examples of national-level initiatives on enhancing social inclusion and sustainability:– Områdesatsningene, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, NO– Lähiöohjelma, Ministry of the Environment, FI 13:20 – Q&A 13:35 – Other initiatives for sustainable citiesTwo additional initiatives will present how municipalities work across areas to promote socially inclusive and green development at the local levl– Borgarlína, Transport for the Capital Area, IS– Prosjekt tettstedspakke, Transportøkonomisk institutt (Norwegian Centre for Transport Research), NO 13.50 – Panel discussionKey questions: – What role does the national level take in supporting sustainable urban development?– What lessons can be drawn from ongoing multilevel cooperation across the Nordic countries?– How can increased Nordic collaboration strengthen vertical and horizontal integration of policies in practice at the local level? The panel will also include representatives from: – Association of Finnish Municipalities (Kuntaliitto), FI– Vejle municipality…
20 April 2022
- Webinar
Webinar: Grasping the diversity among older adults – Active and healthy ageing in the Nordic region
What do we know about the diversity of the Nordic senior population in terms of health, activity and societal participation? New Nordic research shows that older adults are a diverse group and that their possibilities to live an active and healthy life depends on many different background variables. Welcome to join us at Nordregio´s and the Nordic Welfare Centre´s webinar Grasping the diversity among older adults. In this webinar, researchers from Nordregio will present the results of two new studies: Indicators for Active and Healthy Ageing in the Nordic Region. Possibilities and Challenges. Active and Healthy Ageing – heterogenous perspectives and Nordic indicators. The webinar will be held on 6 April 2022, 13.00–14.30 CET on the platform Zoom. Following the presentations, Nordic municipalities, responsible ministries, researchers, and seniors’ organisations have been invited to comment on the findings and discuss the possibilities and challenges for active and healthy ageing in the Nordics. Programme 13:00 – 14:30 CET 12.45 – 13.00 Virtual meeting room opens 13.00 – 13.05 WelcomeModerator Åsa Hildestrand, Head of Communications, NordregioAila Määttä, Project Manager, Nordic Welfare CentreMats Stjernberg, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio 13.05 – 13.20 Presentation of the report “Indicators for Active and Healthy Ageing in the Nordic Region. Possibilities and Challenges”Alex Cuadrado, Junior Research Fellow, Nordregio 13.20 – 13. 30 Comments and follow-upsSonja Hansen, European Project Officer at the Health and Assisted Living Technology Department in Aarhus municipality, DenmarkKristoffer Lundberg, Deputy Director, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Sweden 13.30 – 13.45 Presentation of the report “Active and Healthy Ageing: Heterogenous perspectives and Nordic indicators”Diana Huynh, Research Fellow, Nordregio 13.45 – 13.55 Comments and follow-upsMikaela von Bonsdorff, Associate Professor, University of Jyväskylä, FinlandMarianne Laxén, Gender Equality Expert (retired), Nordic Older People´s Organisation (NOPO) 13.55 – 14.25 Panel discussion and questions from the audiencePanellists: Finn Kamper-Jørgensen, Danish Council of Elders, DenmarkEmma Matsson, Development Leader, Age-friendly City of Gothenburg, SwedenAina…
06 April 2022
- Webinar
State of the Nordic Region 2022
Join the launch events on 23 March, the Nordic Day! Our report State of the Nordic Region 2022 has its point of departure in the Covid-19 pandemic and examines how it has affected demography, labour market and economy in the Nordic countries, cities, and regions. Nordregio and the Nordic Council of Ministers welcome you to join five launch events live or digitally as we tour the Nordics on 23 March – The Nordic Day. Researchers, politicians, experts, and more will join us throughout the day with interesting presentations and discussions: What can we learn from the crisis, and what’s needed now to create the most integrated and sustainable region in the world by 2030? The recordings from events are available here: From crisis to opportunity Closed borders and cross-border labour COVID-19 and the Nordic labour market The pandemic and digitalization Life and death in the Nordic Region Find more information about each event below: OSLO: From crisis to opportunity – Nordic co-operation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: What now? The COVID-19 crisis was a major challenge for Nordic cooperation. All the Nordic countries adopted an inward-looking, state-centric approach, rather than a collective and coordinated transnational response to the crisis. So where do we go from here? While the pandemic exposed some weaknesses and vulnerabilities in Nordic cooperation, it also serves as a reminder of its advantages. Speakers: Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Norwegian Minister for Nordic Cooperation, Gustaf Norlén, editor and author, Nordregio, and Rasmus Jungersen Emborg, President of the Nordic Youth Council, Helge Orten, Nordic Council, Vice-Chair of the Norwegian delegation, and Hilde Sandvik (Moderator). When: 9:00–9:45 am (CET). Breakfast is served from 8.30 Where: Litteraturhuset, Oslo More information about the event STOCKHOLM: Closed borders and cross-border labour – How do they co-exist? 458,000 citizens – 1.7% of the Nordic…
23 March 2022
- Publication launch
Opening Conference of the eMSP NBSR project
Nordregio together with partners from around the Baltic Sea and the North Sea regions are inviting to the opening conference of the project eMSP NBSR – Emerging ecosystem-based Maritime Spatial Planning topics in the North and Baltic Sea regions. The conference, taking place on the 22nd of February online, will introduce participants to the project topics, working methods, and will facilitate stakeholder discussions about their involvement in the upcoming project activities. About the project The eMSP NBSR project aims to enable maritime spatial planners, managing authorities and policymakers from the North and Baltic Sea regions to reflect on current MSP practices, to learn effectively from each other, and to collectively identify problems and solutions. In addition, the European Green Deal and other EU policy incentives fostering inclusive transition and climate neutrality will have an impact on the maritime spatial plans are taken into account in the eMSP NBSR project. The project is built around a Community of Practice (CoP) model, which is based on creating forums for policymakers, practitioners and researchers to discuss important MSP developments in key thematic areas – Ocean governance; Ecosystem-based approach; Sustainable blue economy; Monitoring and evaluation; Data sharing, information and communication technology serving MSP. “The CoP methodology is a potentially important tool for improving the effectiveness of transboundary MSP collaboration processes that can help promote cohesion between countries and across sectors in European sea basins,” – says John Moodie, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio. Nordregio researchers Andrea Morf, John Moodie, Elin Cedergren and Alex Cuadrado, together with the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE are responsible for co-chairing a scientific advisory board, ensuring coherent knowledge exchange across the five thematic learning strands and reflecting on chosen CoP approach. The opening conference Throughout the opening conference of the eMSP NBSR project, participants will have a chance to learn…
22 February 2022
- Conferences
The missing multiplier
How to use public procurement for more sustainable municipalities? The third of Nordregio’s three Localising Agenda 2030 webinars took place on 2 March 2022, watch the recording below! The Nordic countries enjoy high living standards, but also stand out in global rankings as over-consumers of natural resources. To reach Agenda 2030 targets, our production and consumption patterns must change, moving from linear approaches to circular flows. With several billion spent on public procurement each year across the Nordic region, procurement is a powerful tool to leverage sustainability at a large scale. A recent report from the Nordic Council of Ministers has highlighted public procurement as ‘the missing multiplier’. While identified as an individual target (SDG 12.7), public procurement can impact all SDGs and 82% of the targets. In this webinar, we will learn from some municipalities who changed their procurement processes – and discuss gains and pitfalls along the way towards increased circularity and local produce. Programme13:00 – 14:30 CET 13:00 Welcome greeting 13:05 Setting the scene: How to use public procurement for more sustainable Nordic municipalities? 13:10 Keynote speech #1 Nanna Krog-Meyer, Director of Economy, Gladsaxe municipality, Denmark 13:30 Keynote speech #2 Eveliina Varis, Senior Advisor on Sustainability, Vantaa municipality, Finland 13:50 Panel discussion with keynote speakers and experts, followed by a Q&A with the audience!• Tobias Jobring, National Agency for Public Procurement, Sweden• Salla Koivusalo, KEINO – competence centre for sustainable and innovative public procurement, Finland• Ida Laustsen, Innovative Procurements, Norway 14:25 Final remarks The Localising Agenda 2030 webinars gather local officials and civil society networks across the Nordics that work actively with the SDGs – in leadership, indicator development, and the shift towards sustainable public procurement. The Nordic Council of Ministers funds the series to strengthen collaboration between Nordic municipalities and inspire further learning and action towards the 2030…
02 March 2022
- Webinar
What’s in a Voluntary Local Review?
Developing meaningful indicators to measure local SDG progress The second of Nordregio’s three Localising Agenda 2030 webinars will take place on 16 February 2022, 13:00 – 14:30 CET. WATCH THE RECORDING OF THE WEBINAR! Measuring the progress and impact of local Agenda 2030 efforts remains a challenge for many Nordic municipalities since indicators and data are not always available locally. Nevertheless, many municipalities have established meaningful, localised indicators that correspond with city strategies towards Agenda 2030. There is also growing momentum around Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), which we will learn more about in this knowledge-sharing webinar. We are excited to have experienced municipalities offering their best practices on developing and applying indicator sets. The challenges of developing comprehensive methodologies, working across departments, and coordinating with fellow Nordic municipalities to report on common targets is another area that will be addressed during the session. Welcome to join the discussion and share your tools and learnings! Programme13:00 – 14:30 CET 13:00 Welcome greeting 13:05 Setting the scene: Developing meaningful indicators and strengthening the Nordic collaboration. 13:10 Keynote speech #1 Helen Wiklund, Helsingborg, Sweden 13:30 Keynote speech #2 Dr. Ville Taajamaa, SDG Manager, Mayors office, City of Espoo 13:50 Panel discussion with keynote speakers ando Óttar Freyr Gíslason, Icelandic Association of Local Authorities – Samband, Icelando Geir Graff, Asker municipality, Norway followed by a Q&A with the audience! 14:25 Final remarks FIND MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTER FOR THE THIRD WEBINAR! 2 March 2022: The missing multiplier: How to use public procurement for more sustainable municipalities? The Localising Agenda 2030 webinars gather local officials and civil society networks across the Nordics that work actively with the SDGs – in leadership, indicator development, and the shift towards sustainable public procurement. The Nordic Council of Ministers funds the series to strengthen collaboration between Nordic municipalities and inspire…
16 February 2022
- Webinar
Steering towards a sustainable future
How to integrate SDGs and navigate goal conflicts at the local level Watch the recording! Nordic front-runners in SDG achievement usually have two things in common: bold leadership and a steering process encompassing the goals. As one municipality has suggested, integration of the SDGs into the city strategy, financial planning, and practical operations are vital. We are kicking off this new series of Agenda 2030 webinars with a knowledge-sharing session on how to develop leadership, integrate the goals of Agenda 2030 into local planning and budgeting tools, and turn goal conflicts into synergies for a more sustainable future. Welcome to join the discussion and share your tools and learnings! Programme 13:00 – 14:30 CET 13:00 Welcome greeting 13:05 Setting the scene: Why bold leadership is key to the successful implementation of SDGs. 13:10 Keynote speech #1 Mats Johansson, Coordinator, Finspång municipality, SwedenStrategic plan of Finspång municipality, including SDGs, for 2021 – 2023 13:30 Keynote speech #2 Arne Ingebrigtsen, Chief Municipal Officer, Kristiansund, NorwayHandlingsprogram 2022-2025 13:50 Panel discussion with representatives from Nordic municipalities: Ville Taajamaa, Espoo, Finland and Auður Finnbogadóttir, Kópavogsbær, Iceland, and a Q&A with the audience! 14:25 Final remarks REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS ENDED! FIND MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION FOR THE UPCOMING WEBINARS! 16 February 2022: What’s in a Voluntary Local Review? Developing meaningful indicators to measure local SDG progress 2 March 2022: The missing multiplier: How to use public procurement for more sustainable Nordic municipalities? The Localising Agenda 2030 webinars welcome local officials and civil society networks across the Nordics that work actively with the SDGs – in leadership, indicator development, and the shift towards sustainable public procurement. The Nordic Council of Ministers funds the series to strengthen collaboration between Nordic municipalities and inspire further learning and action towards the 2030 goals. Discover previous webinar series, publications and more of our work with the Agenda…
03 February 2022
- Webinar
COP26: Nordics are joining the COP with several events
5-12 November, Watch all events from the Nordic Pavilions in Glasgow and Helsinki online: https://www.norden.org/en/information/live-broadcasts-cop26 9th November: 9/11 – COP26 from a Swedish perspective Norden i Fokus and The British Embassy in Sweden are organizing events about the climate on Tuesday 9th of November at Kulturhuset, Stockholm. It is a part of all the activities that The Nordic Cooperation organize connected to COP26 in Glasgow. In a joint event with the Nordic COP26 Hub in Helsinki we give you a unique opportunity to ask your questions straight to the people in charge. Research Fellow Mari Woen from Nordregio participates a panel discussion on sustainable food chains. Read more here: https://www.norden.org/en/event/lunch-briefing-cop26-swedish-perspective Rural Policies & Climate Change – a joint OECD and Nordregio event Rural areas are crucial for the green transition. They cover around 80% of OECD countries’ territories and contain natural resources, ecosystem services and people with necessary skills to ensure livelihood. However, climate change makes these areas vulnerable. Nordregio and OECD are inviting you to a COP26 session to discuss the crucial contribution of rural regions in the transition to net-zero economies. The event takes place in the Nordic Pavilion in Glasgow and online. During the session “Rural policies & climate change: Why rural areas are crucial for green transition”, OECD will launch the Rural Agenda for Climate Action. Following the launch presentation, high-level officials from the US, Japan, the UK and the Nordics will discuss how to accelerate the transition to rural net-zero economies in different countries and regions. The second part of the event will be dedicated to sharing best practices from the Nordics, the EU and the US, unveiling rural opportunities through the promotion of bioeconomy and renewable energy use in rural areas. Agenda Master of Ceremony:Michael Funch (Nordic Council of Ministers) 11:15-11:25 Welcome remarks• Lamia…
02 November 2021
- Conferences
Ruralities and Regions in Transition
The Division of Rural Development (SLU) in collaboration with Nordregio offers scholars the opportunity to meet, share and discuss important issues related to rural and regional development in Sweden. The conference will be held on 11–12 November at Runö Möten & Events outside Åkersberga. The main speakers Sally Shortall, Professor of Rural Economics at Newcastle University Karen Refsgaard, Research Director at Nordregio Lisanne Raderschall, Policy Analyst, Regional Development and Multi-level Governance Division, Center for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities at the OECD Themes Sustainable rural areas: site development and rural ‘livelihoods’ Entrepreneurship and social innovation in a rural context Demographic change and migration: policy and practice in shrinking geographies The role of natural resources in rural change processes Skills supply, employment and the labor market in rural contexts Local resilience in a time of global societal challenges Regional development policy Find more about the conference here.
11 - 12 November 2021
- Conferences
Covid-19 effects on the economy in the Nordics: Nordic Economic Policy Review 2022
What effects has Covid had on the macroeconomic policies and the labour market? Are they different for men and women? What are the effects of school closings and online teaching? These are some of the issues that will be presented and discussed during the next peer-review conference of the Nordic Economic Policy Review. The conference will take place at the Nordic House in Reykjavik on the 27th of October and we welcome you to join us either in person or online. PROGRAMME 08:55 – 9:00 Opening remarks 09:00 – 10:15 Macroeconomic policies and labour market effects Presentation: Werner Eichhorst, professor, Institute of Labor Economics – IZA, Berlin Discussion: Ragnar Arnason, professor, Department of Economics, University of Iceland Mads Kieler, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance (Denmark) 10:15-10:45 Coffee Break 10:45 – 12:00 Effects of school closings and online teaching Presentation: Caroline Hall, Ph.D., Institute for evaluation of labour market and education policy, IFAU (Sweden) Discussion: Hjördís Hardardottir, Ph.D., Department of Economics, University of Iceland Hanna Virtanen, Chief Research Scientist, ETLA Economic Research (Finland) 12:00 – 13:00 Lunch Break 13:00 – 14:15 Cost-benefit analysis of Covid-19 policies Presentation: Lars Hultkrantz, professor emeritus, Örebro University Discussion: Ulf Persson, professor, The Swedish Institute for Health Economics, Lund University Tuulia Hakola, Research Director, Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority 14:15 – 15:30 Labour market effects for men vs. women Presentation: Kristina Huttunen, research professor, VATT Institute for economic research (Finland) Discussion: Helena Svaleryd, professor, Department of Economics, Uppsala University TBA 15:30 – 16:00 Coffee Break 16:00 – 17:15 Policies and effects on Icelandic tourism Presentation: Gylfi Zoega, professor, Department of Economics, University of Iceland Discussion: Svend E. Hougaard Jensen, professor, Department of Economics, CBS Gylfi Magnússon, professor, Department of Economics, University of Iceland Time allocation for each paper: presenter 30 minutes, discussants 15 minutes each, and general discussion…
27 October 2021
- Conferences
Nordregio Forum (session 1): The regional impacts of remote work
Nordregio Forum 2021 session 1 will focus on the impacts of remote work Post-Covid: As the pandemic is fading, we are facing a new reality with more people working remotely, from multiple locations. What is the potential for urban and rural regions? How can local and national governments support the change? Join the discussion with Nordic experts! Watch the Nordregio Forum 2021- session 1! Programme 13:00 – 15:15 CET 13:00 Welcome greeting Moderators Ryan Weber & Linda Randall, Senior Research Fellows, Nordregio 13:03 Welcome speech Jukka Ihanus, State Secretary, The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Finland 13:10 Keynote speech: The future of work is here! Maria Svensson Wiklander, co-founder of the Remote Lab, Sweden (Knowledge and development node for the future of remote work » The remote lab) 13:23 Keynote speech: How remote working is reshaping regional development in the COVID-19 eraLamia Kamal Chaoui, Director, OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities 13:42 The regional impacts of remote work in Finland The moderators discuss today’s topic with Janne Antikainen & Sari Rannanpää, experts on regional development, MDI Consultancy, and focus on what are the impacts of remote work on regions and municipalities. What is the potential of multilocality for our societies? 13:55 Discussion with the keynotes and experts: What are the incentives to promote a sustainable multilocational lifestyle and remote work? And why?Q&A Session Here is your chance to ask questions to the speakers. 14. 10 Hop on a “Tour-de-Nordics” Hear directly from national and regional experts: How did Iceland succeed in implementing the new policy “10% of jobs are non-locational”? How are Norway and Denmark experiencing the new boom of second-home owners spending an increasing amount of time in rural areas? What kind of legal barriers is the Öresund region experiencing for digital remote work? And how to enhance cross-border labour market movements? Norway: Tor Arnesen, Researcher, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Iceland: Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Transport and Local Government Denmark: Steffen Damsgaard, Chairman, The National Council of Rural DistrictsSweden-Denmark cross-border:…
23 November 2021
- Nordregio forum
Nordregio at the Finnish Rural Parliament 2021
The Finnish Rural Parliament is Finland’s largest Festival of Ideas, and it is organized in collaboration with local actors and coordinated by the Rural Policy Committee. Nordregio joins the festival with a set of four workshops bridging the local level rural development to the EU level. Join and get your thoughts heard! The Finnish Rural Parliament shapes a sustainable future and influences the national rural policy. It also offers an opportunity to explore the diversity of the Finnish countryside, and at the core lies the possibility to create a dialogue between people of different ages and from different backgrounds. The Rural Parliament is attended by NGO activists and village developers, entrepreneurs, researchers and experts, financers and policy-makers. The event brings up-to-date knowledge on rural areas, rural development tools and makers of the future to the same place. The programme will be organised in virtual format, with some of it taking place in multiple locations. SHERPA project workshops moderated by Nordregio: 28th September: Diversification of the rural economy: entrepreneurship, employment and new business models Bioeconomy and sustainable management of resources (Mats Stjernberg, Michael Kull, Senior Research Fellows) 29th September: SHERPA ur ett svenskspråkigt perspektiv (Mats Stjernberg, Michael Kull, Senior Research Fellows, Karen Refsgaard, Research Director, and Louise Ormstrup Vestergård, Research Fellow) Smart rurality, smart communities and digitalisation (Mats Stjernberg, Michael Kull, Senior Research Fellows) Everybody can join in virtually! Language of the Conference – Finnish. Register for the event here. Read more about the Finnish Rural Parliament here.
28 - 30 September 2021
- Workshop
Nordregio Forum (session 2): How to lead the green transition?
Nordregio Forum 2021 session 2 will focus on just and green regional development. The Nordics are perceived as global front-runners towards carbon neutrality, but what kind of impact do we see at local and regional levels? How can we ride the wave and lead towards just green transition and rural renaissance? Join the discussion and learn from the precedents. Welcome to Nordregio Forum 2021 – session 2! Watch the session on Youtube! Programme 13:00 – 15:15 CET 13:00 Welcome and intro to the programmeModerators Åsa Ström Hildestrand and Pipsa Salolammi, Nordregio 13:04 Welcome speechPaula Lehtomäki, Secretary-General, the Nordic Council of Ministers 13:10 What is just green transition? Why is it so important? How to create local value in the process?Interview with Nordregio’s Senior Research Fellows Anna Karlsdóttir and Anna Lundgren 13:20 Keynote speech: Green leadership – How did mid-size town Lahti become The EU Green Capital 2021? Pekka Timonen, Mayor of Lahti, Finland 13:40 Keynote speech: How to design effective climate policy with regional impact? Johan Kuylenstierna, Chair, Swedish Climate Policy Council 14:00 Panel Discussion: Climate Action Post COP26 and regional implications Anna-Leena Seppälä, Head of Unit, Ministry of the Environment, Finland will be discussing together with the keynotes of the day. 14:20 Hop on a “Tour-de-Nordics”Nordic experts share their planning tools for just green transition at the local level. The initiative DK2020 is helping all Danish municipalities to create climate action plans, but how? And how are Norway and Iceland proceeding with climate budgets, local leadership and ensuring that no region is left behind? Q&A Session – Ask the regional experts! Denmark: Anna Esbjørn, Head of program Cities of the Future at Concito (think tank)Iceland: Stefan Gíslason, Founder and Managing Director of Environice (consultancy)Norway: Kjetil Bjørklund, Climate expert, Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities. Explore how to make a climate budget (in Norwegian). 15.10 Final remarks by Rolf Elmér, Director of Nordregio
24 November 2021
- Nordregio forum
Redefining peripherality
When we think of “peripheral” areas, we often tend to bring up their disadvantages compared to more urbanised places. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has overturned such thinking. In times of crisis, peripheries became a refuge for maintaining health, wellbeing, strengthening community ties and local economies. The discussion “Redefining peripherality” gathers scholars from the Nordic and North Atlantic regions to challenge the dominant paradigm through the experience of rural areas in the Northern Periphery and the Arctic – during the pandemic and after. Moderator: Ágúst Bogason, Research Fellow at Nordregio Guest speakers: Liam Glynn, practising GP (community doctor) in an Irish village of just over 250 people, and also Professor of General Practice, School of Medicine at Limerick University, Ireland, and lead partner for the CovidWatch-EU-NPA project Anna Karlsdóttir, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio, Head of the Nordic Thematic Group on Green Inclusive Rural Regional Development Theona Morrison & Thomas Fisher, Directors of CoDeL, the lead partner for the Northern Periphery & Arctic Covid-19 Economics Impact project. Both are long-term residents of Uist (remote Scottish islands in the Outer Hebrides). Theona is Acting Chair of Scottish Rural Action. Thomas is former Director for Enterprising Communities, New Economics Foundation, London. The discussion is supported by the Nordic Talks Podcast series: https://www.nordictalks.com/ More information about the project “COVID-19 Economic Impacts & Recovery in the Northern Periphery & Arctic”: http://codel.scot/covid-19-economic-impacts-recovery-in-the-northern-periphery-arctic
29 September 2021
- Webinar
Nordregio at the BSSSC Annual Conference
Linda Randall, Nordregio Senior Research Fellow, will participate in the BSSSC Annual Conference on 8 October 2021, presenting learnings on sustainable mobility from the MAMBA project. The conference called “A cooperation for a more sustainable Baltic Sea Region. New opportunities ahead” this year, will take place in Kaliningrad, Russia, between 7 and 8 October 2021. The main focus and topics discussed are green transition, green mobility, youth involvement and spotting new solutions for the future.
08 October 2021
- Conferences
Empowering Youth for Green Entrepreneurship – panel discussion
Join Nordregio and CBSS at the EUSBSR Annual Forum! On 30 September 2021, Nordregio will take part in the EUSBSR Annual Forum, where it will lead one of the sessions together with the Council of Baltic States (CBSS). Moderated by Alberto Giacometti, Nordregio Research Fellow, and Olga Zuin, Council of the Baltic Sea States, the panel under “Empowering Youth for Green Entrepreneurship” will focus on and address the topic of youth involvement in issues of green transition and transformation. The panel will consist of youth entrepreneurs from the BSR area and representatives of financial institutions and programmes. It aims to provide a space for discussions about starting a green business, obstacles and barriers when receiving funding and business models. Programme Welcome and opening Council of the Baltic Sea States, Daria Akhutina Nordregio, Alberto Giacometti How to integrate sustainability in entrepreneurship and support youth Ung företagsamhet in Norrbotten, Linda Strandenhed, Sweden Experiences from young entrepreneurs in the Baltic Sea Region Single Earth, Estonia Plūkt, Latvia Avocadopt, Poland International Consortium St. Petersburg Cleantech Cluster for Urban Environment, Aleksandr Belykh, Russia (tbc) What financial support systems are already available? SEB, Christopher Flensborg, Head of Climate and Sustainable Finance in SEB, Sweden Fundacja MOST, Jan M. Kaczmarek, President of the Board, Poland JSC Development Finance Institution Altum, Latvia To register for the event, access the EUSBSR Annual Forum page. The 12th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region will take place between 27 September and 1 October 2021. Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Kaunas and Klaipeda and the Union of the Baltic Cities, the forum gathers almost 40 events under its umbrella, focusing on opportunities EUSBSR to contribute to the green transformation of the region. Another important goal of the Forum is to…
30 September 2021
- Conferences
Youth journey towards a sustainable economy
Stopping environmental degradation through innovative production and consumption patterns has never been as high on the agenda as it is now. Much attention is drawn to youth who are breaking old habits and introducing new ways to accelerate the green transition. But what has their journey been like? What are the challenges and opportunities to develop such ideas further? BeUBio project invites youth, policy makers, and funders interested in developing, advancing, and supporting circular and bioeconomy businesses to join a panel discussion on “Youth journey towards a sustainable economy”. In the discussion, we will showcase inspiring youth-led bioeconomy business examples across the Baltic Sea Region and discuss challenges and opportunities in developing the circular economy businesses. Policy makers/funders will also present existing support mechanisms for initiating and maintaining such initiatives. Tentative agenda: Welcome, About BeUBio project Panel discussion with representatives from youth, a local authority and youth entrepreneurship education programme Discussion with audience Key messages from panelists Panelists: Ole Kristian Vingdal and Mathias Wahl, software developers and co-founders, and Marina Skanche, Advisor of Circular Economy, Loopfront – a Norwegian company offering construction companies and organisations a simpler way to track and reuse building materials furniture, and inventory. Jonas Ignatavičius, CEO of Nando – a Lithuanian company, supplying chemical raw substances for various sectors, including the food industry, manufacturing of cosmetics, household chemicals, pharmacy, paints and vanish, and metal processing. Sara Jervfors, Head of Diet Unit Södertälje and Gnesta Municipality, project leader of MatLust – an initiative fostering healthy and sustainable food industry in the Stockholm region, Sweden. Mari Laakso-Suutari, Project coordinator at Junior Achievement Finland. About the project The BeUBio project aims to promote youth involvement across the Baltic Sea Region for transition to a bio-based economy, and create synergies with other actors and initiatives addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In the BeUBio platform you can find stories of young…
09 September 2021
- Webinar
NEPR 2022: Peer-review seminar
Welcome to the 2022 Nordic Economic Policy Review peer-review seminar. The open event takes place in the Nordic House of Iceland on 27 October. The 2022 issue looks into how Covid-19 has affected different parts of the economy including tourism, schools and the labour market. A detailed programme and registration come in August.
27 October 2021
- Seminars
6 July: Nordregio joins Almedalen Week 2021 online
This year, Nordregio joins the biggest political festival in Sweden, Almedalen Week, on 6 July to share the latest on COVID-19 impacts on Nordic Co-operation, integration and how to steer circular economy processes forward. On 6 July, you can tune in online 13-16 CET to the Nordic pavilion, where we discuss: How has Covid-19 affected Nordic Co-operation and integration in the Nordic countries? And how do we steer processes from circular goals and strategies to business? Listen to exciting speeches by Minister Märta Stenevi (MP), Alexander Mørk-Eidem, Theater Director at Dramaten, Children’s Ombudsman Elisabeth Dahlin, Degmo Daar, spokesperson for the Crisis Committee and Stefan Holmström COO for Cradlenet. Everyone is welcome to join and follow the Nordic discussions on Almedalsveckan Play website (see links below in the programme), Facebook channel and on Youtube! You can use the comment field for comments and discussion. PROGRAMME All three programs will be broadcasted on 6 July between 13 and 16 (CEST)! 13.00 – 13.45 What impact has COVID-19 had on Nordic co-operation? The Nordic countries have a vision of being the most integrated region in the world. Freedom of movement, cultural co-operation, and trade between the Nordic countries has strengthened them. However, the 2015 refugee crisis showed that the borders between the Nordic countries can be closed and during the pandemic it has become common to follow how various restrictions have been introduced at national level. Border closures have affected many of us. What do those living in the Nordic Region expect of co-operation going forwards? And how do politicians respond? Is the Nordic Region equipped to deal with post-COVID-19 life? List of speakers Monica Wirkkala, Vice Director of the Swedish Institute Alexander Mørk-Eidem, Theatre Director for the Swedish Royal Dramatic Theatre Elisabet Dahlin, Ombudsman for Children in Sweden Krister Nilsson, State Secretary…
06 July 2021
- Conferences
Smart Planning for Healthy and Green Nordic Cities
Citizen engagement & participation bringing technology, people, and nature together Join us for EU Green Week event on the 4th of June and find out how human wellbeing and access to green spaces are co-created and integrated into city planning, how investment in and by cities can jointly support multiple urban objectives to be liveable, equitable, resilient and contribute positively to regional and global sustainability. In this event, Nordregio Senior Research Advisor Ryan Weber, Junior Research Fellow Diana N. Huynh and partners from Smarter Greener Cities as well as Aalto University will share ongoing work across the NORDGREEN and SMARTer Greener Cities projects funded by NordForsk. We will discuss what it means to engage citizens in systems-oriented approaches to green planning processes and the implications for multi-level governance across the Nordics and Europe more broadly. The session also will bring forth experiences and perspectives from researchers, practitioners and city representatives working to leverage the potential to improve sustainable places, health and well-being for people and local communities. Watch the recording of the webinar on Nordregio’s Youtube channel.
04 June 2021
- Webinar
Segregation, Covid-19 and living conditions – myths meet research
Join us on 11 May for the webinar launch of the new report to find out more and join the discussion. The media picture and the political argumentation in for example Denmark, claim that the spread of infection and excess mortality in vulnerable housing areas is due to a lack of language skills and cultural differences between immigrant groups and the majority population. A new report from the Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordregio points to several underlying factors that have caused the high level of infection and mortality in areas with a large proportion of foreign-born. Rather than language difficulties and cultural background, structural factors and inequality have come into play. These factors make it difficult and, in some cases, impossible for residents to follow the guidelines. On 11 May 2021, 13:00 – 14:30 CET, Nordregio researchers Sandra Oliveira e Costa and Hjördís Rut Sigurjónsdóttir will present their findings during a webinar. Representatives from segregated areas in the Nordic countries will comment on the report and share their pandemic experiences. Followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session with representatives from Nordic authorities responsible for counteracting housing segregation. Contact person: Helena Lagercrantz, Communications Generalist/Project Manager Find the program at the Nordic Integration website here. Recording from 11 May webinar will soon be available on Nordregio’s youtube channel.
11 May 2021
- Webinar
14-15 April: The Competence Supply Days
Regional and national actors in skills supply are gathering digitally to share information, news, experiences and have a dialogue with colleagues from all over Sweden. Nordregio’s Senior Research Fellow Anna Lundgren will share the results of a recently conducted study. On the second day of the digital conference, Anna Lundgren will provide a Nordic and European outlook on skills supply system and how to secure it for future. The study on skills policies has been commissioned by the Nordic Thematic Group for Innovative and Resilient Regions 2017-2020. The Competence Supply Days event is organised by Tillväxtverket.
14 - 15 April 2021
- Conferences
- Webinar
Housing Policies in the Nordics – Nordic Economic Policy Review 2021
Join us on 5 May for the digital launch event of NEPR 2021. This issue of Nordic Economic Policy Review is devoted to Nordic housing markets and housing policies. Nordic housing markets face more or less the same problems and challenges, but the way policies and regulations deal with them differs in many respects. A comparison of policies, regulations and results across countries yields valuable lessons for policymakers. The work has been led and edited by Professor emeritus Harry Flam and Professor emeritus Peter Englund. Find the publication here Watch the recording Programme Welcome, Krista Mikkonen, Finnish Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Article presentations: Introduction, Professor Harry Flam Cost and productivity in housing construction, Mats Bergman, Södertörn University; and Sten Nyberg, Stockholm University, Sweden Social housing: affordability and integration, Essi Eerola, VATT Institute for Economic Research, Finland Efficiency and equity: taxation of housing, Niku Määttänen, University of Helsinki, Finland Panellists: Kristina Háfoss, Secretary-General at the Nordic Council and former Minister of Finance, Faroe Islands, Curt Liliegreen, Project Director at the Knowledge Centre for Housing Economics/Realdania, Denmark, and Una Jónsdóttir, Economist at Landsbankinn, Iceland. Moderated by Senior Research Advisor Ryan Weber, Nordregio The event will take place on Zoom between 13.00 – 15.00 CEST, and you can register through the link below. REGISTER
05 May 2021
- Publication launch
Free movement in the Nordics: A true story of jobs, commuting – and dark numbers
For the first time ever, cross-border statistics for all Nordic countries has been produced, shedding new light on mobility across borders in the Nordic countries. How far are we from being the most integrated region in the world, one of the main goals of Nordic Cooperation? And how much do we know about the movements of people within the Nordic Region? Nordic Council of Ministers invites you to a discussion about current mobility patterns and statistics cooperation in the Nordics. Nordregio’s new Director, Rolf Elmér will join the program in the panel on the need for better cross-border statistics in the Nordics. Among the speakers, you will also find Paula Mikkola, Nordkalottrådet and Elsie Hellström, Svinesundskomitéen, sharing reflections on Nordic mobility in cross-border regions. Paula and Elsie have been active members of the Nordic Thematic Groups for Rural Development and Innovative and Resilient Regions that Nordregio has been coordinating for the past four years.
25 February 2021
- Conferences
- Publication launch
- Webinar
Nordic/Russian matchmaking for wood in construction
Join us on 2 March to build Nordic-Russian partnerships for wood in construction! The online matchmaking event will link actors from across the Nordics and North-West Russia to form new relationships, for trade, knowledge and technology exchange, and the expansion and connection of the wood in the construction community. Date: 2 March, 9:00-16:00 (CET) / 11:00-18:00 (Moscow time)
02 March 2021
- Seminars
Book launch: Green Visions: Greenspace Planning and Design for Nordic Cities
On the 26th of January, we launched the book Green Visions: Greenspace Planning and Design in Nordic Cities. Selected authors and acclaimed landscape architects from around the Nordic Region came together to critically discuss the role of planning and design of public greenspace, both for today and for the future of Nordic sustainable cities. The launch was recorded and is available through the link below. Watch the launch Nordic cities are renowned for promoting accessibility to greenspace, both in terms of preserving natural landscapes as well as establishing green public space within highly developed areas. At the same time, multiple pressures threaten our access to urban green and recreative spaces. Increasing liberal planning approaches are further commodifying land, and even lasting good practices are under development pressure. Ethnic and economic segregation has also led to significant intra-urban spatial disparities in terms of access to high-quality green and recreation space. Green Visions explores and evaluates the historical pathways, contemporary development, and future outlook for planning, design, and policy-making of green and recreational cities in the Nordic Region. Landscape architects, planners, policymakers, and active citizens will learn from practitioners who share decades of knowledge regarding the aesthetics, functionality, and significance of urban greenspaces throughout Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Readers within the Nordic Region and abroad will find an in-depth exploration of urban greenspace that will inspire and incite curiosity over the future of urban greenspaces. As cities navigate contemporary urban challenges and prepare for uncertain futures with regards to climate change, urban densification, and social inequities, the insights from the book act as review and vision for sustainable urban planning and design. The book is published by renown publisher Arvinus + Orfeus. Programme: Presentations by Karsten Jørgensen, Thorbjörn Andersson, Stig L. Andersson and Ranja Hautamäki. Panel discussion with Monica von…
26 January 2021
- Publication launch
- Webinar
Sustainable tourism post-Covid: 4th session of Nordregio Forum 3 February
2020 has been a tough year for tourism and we are yet to witness the full regional and national impacts across the world. This year also provides an opportunity to take a step back and ponder what kind of tourism is sustainable in the long run? Has the business been financially, socially, and environmentally beneficial for the region? How do we handle the tourism paradox? The fourth session of Nordregio Forum 2020 dives into these questions and more, and you can register already today! Check the recordings and links here In this fourth and final session on the 3rd of February, our researchers will focus on regional plans for sustainable tourism, how to measure impact, and the challenges ahead. We will also hear directly from some Nordic regions how they survived the shock, so far? Which are the new trends, tools and strategies to support local tourism, innovation and resilience, post-Covid? The full programme, information about speakers and more is available on the Forum website: www.nordregioevents.org/programme The recordings from the first three sessions are available here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrur_rLAN0p6f6oeiw6Dlag
03 February 2021
- Nordregio forum
- Webinar
Choosing Green – a digital summit before COP26
On 17 November, Nordic Council of Ministers invites you to join a digital summit to discuss a green recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. In the series of six debates, politicians, organizations, representatives from the public and private sectors and entrepreneurs from the Nordic region will identify the strengths and weaknesses in the Nordic model. Among other topics, Nordregio will share Nordic perspectives on green transition. The discussions will focus on various aspects of the role that the Nordics will play in the global, post-corona, green recovery. How can we achieve a just green transition in times of recession? Is the Nordic welfare model equipped for this brave new future without leaving anyone behind? What implications will the green transition have for the educational system? Are the Nordic countries prepared for a green future with a different job market that requires new skill sets? These are just some of the complex questions we will be asking. Nordregio’s Senior Research Fellow Anna Lundgren will participate in the session “The Nordic welfare state: Green, inclusive and excellent?”. Watch the discussion at 17:00 (GMT +1). The summit will be broadcasted live from the Nordic capital. See the full programme here: https://www.norden.org/sv/choosing-green
17 November 2020
- Conferences
- Seminars
- Webinar
26 October: Scottish and Nordic lessons on reversing depopulation
Join us on the 26 October for a webinar about Scottish and Nordic perspectives on the common objective of repopulating rural and remote areas hosted by Scottish Government. This session will offer Scottish and Nordic perspectives on the common objective of repopulating rural and remote areas, identifying similarities, divergences and opportunities for mutual learning. Discussions will focus on approaches to making rural and remote communities attractive places to move to, live, work and bring up families, to ensure sustainable populations, facilitate inclusive economic growth and support wellbeing. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be multifaceted from a population and migration perspective, with higher mortality rates of an ageing population and international and internal migration flows already impacted in the short-term. Moderator: Jane Craigie – Director, Rural Youth Project Speakers: Fiona Hyslop – Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture Karen Refsgaard – Research Director, Nordregio Timothy Heleniak – Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio Jane Atterton – Manager, Rural Policy Centre, Scotland’s Rural College Martin Shields – Isle of Kerrera Development Trust This event is part of the Scottish Government’s Arctic Connections webinar series. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rural-and-thriving-scottish-and-nordic-lessons-on-reversing-depopulation-tickets-124069853271?aff=erelpanelorg
26 October 2020
- Webinar
Strengthening cross-border communities: Lessons from Covid-19
Cross-border regions across the Nordics and beyond are facing challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the web conference “Strengthening cross-border communities: Lessons from Covid-19”, representatives from European and Nordic institutions will discuss the short- and long-term impacts of Covid-19 in cross-border regions. The results of recent studies in the Bothnian Arc and Svinesund regions will be presented and refined during the conference – with your help. Cross-border activities came dramatically to a halt in the spring of 2020 as a result of measures adopted to limit the spread of the Coronavirus. On a macro level, the interruption of flows of people and goods added significant stress on every aspect of community life, as well as challenging the supply and accessibility to key goods and services. Bi-national communities, used to a borderless daily life, suddenly experienced hard borders. These communities were divided by inward-looking national measures put in place without considering the nature of border communities. Collaboration across borders is being tested, but also the resilience and viability of cross-border community living. This highlights the need for raising more awareness of the consequences and risks of hard borders for these communities, and what instruments may be developed to ensure the long-term resilience of cross-border regions. Web conference With this web conference, Nordregio together with the Bothnian Arc and Svinesund cross-border committees aim to stimulate learning among stakeholders from across Nordic border regions, and open up for a discussion on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in a short- and long term perspective. We will share results from research conducted on behalf of the Nordic Thematic Group of Innovative and Resilient Regions – including a not yet published report on Covid-19 implications where we seek your input on the conclusions. Guests speakers Among others, the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR)…
12 November 2020
- Webinar
28 October: CROSS-BORDER TRAFFIC FLOWS IN THE NORDIC REGION Webinar
See the presentation from the webinar! In case you missed the webinar, watch the recording below. Join us online on the 28 October for a conversation about patterns of traffic between borders in the Nordic Region! AGENDA Moderator: Ryan Weber (Senior Research Advisor, Nordregio) 10:00 – 10:05 – Opening words: Ryan Weber & Alf S. Johansen (Senior planner at the Värmland-Östfold Border Council) 10:05 – 10:15 – High-Speed Train between Oslo and Stockholm– Julien Grunfelder (Senior Researcher at Nordregio) 10:15 – 10:25 – Kvarken Ferry link between Vaasa and Umeå – Mats Stjernberg (Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio) 10:25 – 10:35 – Rail Accessibility in the Great Copenhagen region – Diana N. Huynh (Junior Research Fellow, Nordregio) 10:35 – 11:00 – Round table discussion with an introduction by Luciane Aguiar Borges (Senior Researcher Fellow at Nordregio) Thomas S. Nielsen, Senior Consultant at The Danish Road Directorate Björn Hasselgren, Senior Advisor at the Swedish Transport Administration Marko Mäenpää, Transport System Specialist from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, Traficom (TBC) Register here: https://www.lyyti.in/CROSSBORDER_TRAFFIC_FLOWS_IN_THE_NORDIC_REGION_4546
28 October 2020
- Webinar
21 October: Health & Well-being in the Nordic Region
Health & Well-being in the Nordic Region: The potential of digital solutions Discover the presentations from the event: Special Issue on Health, Well-being and Digitalisation – main results Anna Lundgren and Linda Randall, researchers, Nordregio VOPD – main results, including highlights from the case studies and the accessibility study Anna Lundgren, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio Louise Ormstrup Vestergård, researcher, Nordregio Shinan Wang, Cartographer/GIS specialist, Nordregio Are the Nordic people equally healthy and happy? How are digital solutions improving health and well-being? And how can digital solutions in health care and social care contribute to regional development? Join the webinar launch 21 October of two Nordic reports analyzing and discussing health and well-being, and how the quality and accessibility to health care and social care services can be improved by using digital solutions – now and in the future. Henrik Moberg (SV), Ministry of Social Affairs, Sweden together with Nordregio’s researchers, national and regional experts in the field of health care and digitalization, Sari Palojoki, Specialist, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (FI), Peter Berggren, area manager for local healthcare in Southern Lapland (SV) and Anne Kristin Kleiven, development director from the region Sogn og Fjordane (NO) will share their insights and you are welcome to participate in the discussion. SIGN UP: https://www.lyyti.in/WellbeingLaunch Although the results of these studies show that the Nordic countries are performing well on many indicators related to health and wellbeing in an international comparison, there are persistent gaps between regions, socio-economic groups and gender. Digitalisation has the potential to overcome some of these gaps by improving accessibility to welfare services and thus wellbeing. Increasing access to fast Internet broadband and to bridge digital divides, are important issues for Nordic governments to address. Otherwise, we run a risk of cementing persisting inequalities in the Nordic countries. The two reports, State of the Nordic Region 2020…
21 October 2020
- Publication launch
BONUS BASMATI: The final seminar
BONUS BASMATI project aimed to develop an innovative decision support system for maritime spatial planning in the Baltic Sea region. The results of a three-year project will be shared in the digital seminar “Supporting Maritime Spatial Planning with Science” on the 9th September 2020. PROGRAMME (in Central European Summer Time, CEST) 10:00 Welcome • Henning Sten Hansen (AAU) & Harri Tolvanen (UTU): BONUS BASMATI – Supporting Maritime Spatial Planning with Science 10:15 Concepts and approaches • Pia Frederiksen (AU): Framework for sustainability impact assessment of plan proposals • Solvita Strake/Kristine Pakalniete (LIAE): Assessment of Ecosystem Services and Values of Marine Protected Areas • Kerstin Schiele/Lotta Maack (IOW): Data harmonisation to facilitate planning across borders and scales • Søren Qvist Eliasen/Andrea Morf (Nordregio): Involving stakeholders – Why, Who, When and How? 11:15 Platforms and tools for MSP • Juha Oksanen & FGI team (NLS): Baltic Explorer – Collaborative GIS approach for new interactive MSP • Miriam von Thenen (IOW): SPACEA – a GIS toolbox to facilitate easy spatial and environmental suitability analysis • Aurelija Armoskaite (LIAE): ESA4MSP – an ecosystem service assessment tool • Henning Sten Hansen (AAU): MYTILUS – a toolset for assessing the impacts of maritime activities • Ida Maria Bonnevie (AAU): SEANERGY – a tool for analysing conflicts and synergies between different marine uses 12.15 End of conference • Lise Schrøder (AAU): Wrap-up • Henning Sten Hansen (AAU): Final remarks REGISTRATION Please register yourself by Monday the 7th of September at the latest. Instructions about how to join the webinar will be sent to you a day before the event. https://konsta.utu.fi/Default.aspx?tabid=88&tap=9759
09 September 2020
- Conferences
- Project meetings
- Seminars
ReGeneration 2030 Summit
Regeneration 2030 Summit invites youth from the Nordic and the Baltic regions to exchange ideas on how to promote Sustainable Development Goals locally. Among other participants, Nordregio’s researcher Alberto Giacometti will present the BeUbio platform and stories of young persons across the Baltic Sea Region leading the way to sustainability from different sectors and industries. ReGeneration 2030 is a movement led by teenagers and young adults in the Nordic and Baltic Sea Regions making the United Nations Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs) become reality. The summit invites to get to know like-minded youth, to hear inspiring speakers and learn about initiatives from all over the region, to get tools and frameworks that will help you identify challenges and come up with solutions, to start taking action in your community. Nordregio is a part of the BeUBio project that aims to promote youth involvement across the Baltic Sea Region for transition to a bio-based economy, and create synergies with other actors and initiatives addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In the BeUBio platform you can find stories of young people whose business ideas, jobs and other activities lead the way towards a different and more sustainable economic path. Some of these young leaders will be participating in the Regeneration 2030 Summit to share their experience, both their achievements and challenges. Panel “Young people leading the way to a sustainable economy” August 20, 16:30-17:30 Juan Medina, Denmark: founded Kaffe Bueno to explore the infinite possible uses coffee grounds, extending its life cycle, reducing environmental degradation, and helping a community of women in his hometown in Colombia. Anastasia Selezneva, St Petersburg, Russia: initiated Green Glass, a studio where to create decorations and art installations from recycled glass. She is also organising events to educate groups on SDGs in St Petersburg. Māra Lieplapa, Latvia:…
20 - 21 August 2020
- Conferences
- Seminars
- Workshop
Financial Regulation and Microeconomic Stability in the Nordics
Launch of the Nordic Economic Policy Review 2020 The next issue examines how robust the financial sector in the Nordics is today. How well designed are the financial regulations that have been imposed after the global financial crisis in 2008–09 and the subsequent euro crisis? Will the new bail-in rules work in a systemic crisis, or do we risk further costly bail-outs by governments? How does monetary policy influence household debt? Have macroprudential tools been well-calibrated? Answers to these questions are crucial for judging the risks that the current corona crisis might also trigger a new financial crisis. The new issue will be presented at a webinar on the 16th of June at 10.30 (CEST). Please register no later than 16.00 (CEST) on the 15th in order to receive a link to the webinar. REGISTRATION: https://www.lyyti.in/nepr2020 10.30 Introduction by Lars Calmfors, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, Stockholm University and chief editor of the Nordic Economic Policy Review 10.40 How stable is the Nordic financial sector? Jesper Rangvid, Copenhagen Business School 10.55 Bail-in: EU rules and their applicability in the Nordic context. Vesa Vihriälä, University of Helsinki 11.10 Monetary policy and household debt. Gisle James Natvik, Norwegian Business School 11.25-12.15 Panel discussion: Will the corona crisis also trigger a financial crisis? Karolina Ekholm (professor of economics, Stockholm University), Lars Heikensten (CEO, the Nobel Foundation), Kerstin Hessius (CEO, Third Swedish National Pension Fund) and Jesper Rangvid (professor of finance, Copenhagen Business School). Moderator: Peter Englund (professor emeritus, Stockholm School of Economics and Uppsala University).
16 June 2020
- Publication launch
Webinar: Sami Youth – Access to education and labour markets
Sami language competence is a sought-after skill in the regional labour markets. Sami-related occupations can be found in traditional occupations such as reindeer husbandry and Sami handicrafts, but also in tourism and in creative industries. But are there enough Sami teachers? And how do Sami education institutions meet the labour market opportunities? A new Nordregio report investigates these questions and the results are discussed in a webinar together with Sami youth representatives Juhán Niila Stålka, board member of the youth association Sáminuorra, and Arla Magga, the Sami Parliament in Finland, author of a report on cross-border education and the coordinator of an ongoing project on remote Sami language education. “We didn’t really learn anything about our own culture in school. I started learning about it at university. Now that I have the language, there is so much I can do, for example translations, interpretation, write education material. (…) I have a friend who teaches Sami language remotely while living abroad. Modern technology makes this possible.” (Youth, F, FI) Lise Smed Olsen from Oxford Research and Linnea Löfving will present the results of the study which was commissioned by The Nordic Thematic Group on Sustainable Rural Development 2017-2020. The report will be published in mid-June and it will be available at the thematic group website nordregioprojects.org/rural, Nordregio’s website as well as directly sent to all webinar participants. A link to the event will be sent to all participants a day before, but registration is needed here: https://www.lyyti.in/Samiwebinar
09 June 2020
- Webinar
Webinar: Fiscal sustainability report launch
Most advanced economies face large future fiscal challenges because of an ageing population. This applies also to the Nordics where generous welfare systems are likely to aggravate the problems. Serious attempts are made in all Nordic countries to analyse the long-run sustainability of fiscal policy. The countries have strict fiscal frameworks in order to guarantee responsible fiscal policy. An important objective is to secure fiscal room of manoeuvre in crises like the current one. All Nordic countries except Norway have established independent fiscal councils to monitor fiscal policy. In the webinar, a new report, commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers and written by Lars Calmfors, will be presented and discussed. The report reviews and compares the fiscal frameworks in the Nordic countries. It analyses the methods for judging fiscal sustainability and evaluates the sustainability analyses made by ministries of finance and other institutions. The aim of the report is that the various Nordic countries should be able to learn from each other in this field. Sign up here Programme 9.30-9.35 Introduction: Harry Flam, Fiscal Policy Council and Stockholm University (moderator) 9.35-9.40 Background to the project: Anders Hedberg, Nordic Council of Ministers 9.40-10.10 Presentation of the report: Lars Calmfors, Research Institute of Industrial Economics and Stockholm University 10.10-10.50 Panel discussion: A Nordic Perspective on fiscal frameworks and fiscal sustainability: Carl-Johan Dalgaard, Danish Economic Councils and University of Copenhagen; Yngvar Dyvi, Norwegian Ministry of Finance; Jouko Vilmunen, Finnish Economic Policy Council and University of Turku; Lars Calmfors, Research Institute of Industrial Economics and Stockholm University 10.50-11.30 Panel discussion: The fiscal framework and fiscal sustainability in Sweden: Göran Hjelm, National Institute of Economic Research; Pär Österholm, Swedish Fiscal Policy Council and Örebro University; Lars Calmfors, Research Institute of Industrial Economics and Stockholm University Sign up here
03 April 2020
- Webinar
Rural Attractiveness Webinar
What makes a rural region thrive? Nordregio discovered 14 stories from the regions where the population and employment are growing along with satisfaction and pride to belong. The usual narrative for the rural regions tends to be the opposite. Join the webinar to hear more from the regions and researchers what these municipalities and regions did differently. You will also get an opportunity to interact with the authors and other speakers: Karen Refsgaard & Michael Kull, Nordregio Dennis Holm, mayor of Vágur, Faroe Islands Toni K. Laine, mayor of Inari, Finland Camilla Nissen, The Danish Business Authority, Denmark POSTPONED (new date not set yet) Webinar: Attractive rural municipalities in the Nordic countries: Jobs, people and reasons for success from 14 case studies.
02 April 2020
- Webinar
A Webinar Series: Rural perspectives on digital innovation
Digitalisation is often described as a global megatrend and is set to transform all elements of our economy, government and society. But what exactly does that mean at the local level? What are the implications for communities, businesses? What challenges are on the horizon? What are the opportunities and how can we make the most of these? And how should policymakers respond? Throughout March, Nordregio researchers will be joined by practitioners and experts in the field to explore these questions from a rural perspective. Join us for the webinar series here: https://www.lyyti.in/ruraldigitalization March 10, 13:00 (Swedish time) – Webinar 1: The digital divide March 17, 13:00 (Swedish time) – Webinar 2: Manufacturing/Industry March 24, 13:00 (Swedish time) – Webinar 3: Bioeconomy March 31, 13:00 (Swedish time) – Webinar 4: Sustainable tourism Webinar 1: The digital divide Rural and sparsely populated areas are often painted as lagging behind their urban counterparts when it comes to digitalisation. This situation is often referred to as “the digital divide” and relates to both the availability of digital infrastructure and the use of digital technologies among the population. This webinar will explore the digital divide from a critical perspective, highlighting examples of how it is being overcome in different parts of the Nordic-Baltic Region. We will here from Tommy Nilsson (Byanätsforum, Sweden) about how communities across Sweden are mobilising to get connected; Regina Westas Stedt (Vingåker Municipality, Sweden) will talk about what it means to be a “smart” rural municipality; and Aiga Irmeja (Latvian IT Cluster, Latvia) will share an example of how a rural community in Latvia is upskilling in order to tackle local challenges through digital means. Webinar 2: Digitalisation in the manufacturing industry We are at the beginning of what is commonly termed the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where digitalisation is gaining solid…
10 - 31 March 2020
- Webinar
Digitalisation: rural mobility in the digital age areas – MAMBA Rural Mobility Webinar
New innovative mobility solutions based on innovative technologies represent a crucial element for the development of rural areas. Also, digitalisation has been more and more present in rural areas, one example being how the agricultural landscape is becoming more autonomous. Due to the latest developments regarding the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we have taken the decision to cancel the physical seminar and we are instead moving it into the digital realm by hosting a webinar. With agriculture becoming more automatised, could self-driving vehicles and electrical technologies also be part of the solution to challenges connected to mobility and service in rural areas? While some countries of the Baltic Sea Region are more digitally advanced, others still struggle to ensure basic network coverage, threatening the development of their rural areas. The situation begs the question – is it possible for countries who are more developed to inspire and support other regions? And what basic knowledge and governance is necessary for technology to be implemented? The 5th and last Rural Mobility Seminar organised by the MAMBA consortium will focus on digitalisation and new technology that can improve rural mobility. The event will take take place on 26 March 2020, at 12:30 CET. Register for the seminar!
26 March 2020
- Seminars
Webinar: Labour Market in the Nordics. State of the Nordic Region 2020
Welcome to the State of the Nordic Region 2020 thematic webinar about Labour Markets in the Nordic countries. You will get an introduction to the maps and the development in the Nordic countries with a possibility to interact with the authors. The report gives a unique look behind the scenes of the world’s most integrated region, comprised of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland. State of the Nordic Region 2020 is published by the Nordic Council of Ministers and produced by Nordregio, an international research center for regional development and planning established by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The workshop takes place on the 3th of March at 11-12 am, 2020. Registration: Sign-up to webinar on Labour Market in the Nordics, based on State of the Nordic Region 2020.
03 March 2020
- Webinar
Webinar: Carbon Neutrality in the Nordics. State of the Nordic Region 2020
Welcome to the State of the Nordic Region 2020 thematic webinar about Carbon Neutrality in the Nordic countries. You will get an introduction to the maps and the development in the Nordic countries with a possibility to interact with the authors. The report gives a unique look behind the scenes of the world’s most integrated region, comprised of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland. State of the Nordic Region 2020 is published by the Nordic Council of Ministers and produced by Nordregio, an international research center for regional development and planning established by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The workshop takes place on the 25th of February at 11-12 am, 2020. Registration: Sign-up to webinar on Carbon Neutrality in the Nordics, based on State of the Nordic Region 2020.
25 February 2020
- Webinar
Webinar: Economy in the Nordics. State of the Nordic Region 2020
Welcome to the State of the Nordic Region 2020 thematic webinar about the Economy in the Nordic countries. You will get an introduction to the maps and the development in the Nordic countries with a possibility to interact with the authors. The report gives a unique look behind the scenes of the world’s most integrated region, comprised of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland. State of the Nordic Region 2020 is published by the Nordic Council of Ministers and produced by Nordregio, an international research center for regional development and planning established by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The workshop takes place on the 19th of February at 11-12 am, 2020. Registration: Sign-up to webinar on Economy in the Nordics, based on State of the Nordic Region 2020.
19 February 2020
- Webinar
Webinar: Demography in the Nordics. State of the Nordic Region 2020
Welcome to the State of the Nordic Region 2020 thematic webinar about Demography in the Nordic countries. You will get an introduction to the maps and the development in the Nordic countries with a possibility to interact with the authors. The report gives a unique look behind the scenes of the world’s most integrated region, comprised of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland. State of the Nordic Region 2020 is published by the Nordic Council of Ministers and produced by Nordregio, an international research center for regional development and planning established by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The workshop takes place on the 12th of February at 11-12 am, 2020. Registration: Sign-up to webinar on Demography in the Nordics, based on State of the Nordic Region 2020.
12 February 2020
- Webinar
State of the Nordic Region 2020: Launch and webinar
The State of the Nordic Region 2020 will be launched on February 4 in Copenhagen in connection to the meeting of the Nordic Co-operation Ministers that same day. The launch is hosted by the Danish Minister for Nordic Co-operation Mogens Jensen and includes a panel discussion on the future of the Nordics. After the launch, Nordregio hosts as webinar to give a more in-depth presentation of the publication. It is Tuesday, February 4, from 14.00-15.00. Read more about the publication and the launch here. Sign up for thematic webinar series based on the report: DEMOGRAPHY, 12 February 11-12 am, Sign up here ECONOMY, 19 February 11-12 am, Sign up here CARBON NEUTRALITY, 25 February 11-12 am, Sign up here LABOUR MARKET, 3 March 11-12 am, Sign up here
04 February 2020
- Webinar
ESPON Workshop: The future of the Baltic Sea Region
How regions and cities in the Baltic Sea region will possibly look like in 2050? How can territorial scenarios assist strategic/territorial planning? Organisation: Nordregio, in collaboration with ESPON. On behalf of the ESPON BT2050 project, Nordregio is inviting planners, regional and local authorities and policy coordinators to the ESPON workshop on the future of the Baltic Sea region which will focus on the results of ESPON BT2050 project. The seminar/workshop is mainly targeted to the practitioners working in the Baltic Sea region, within Maritime Spatial Planning, as well as the Policy Areas and Horizontal Areas Coordinators of the EUSBSR. The seminar/workshop takes place on the 5th of March, 2020 at Nordregio’s premises in Stockholm, Sweden. Due to the limited capacity (50 participants), the registration to the event is required. Agenda (preliminary) 9:30 – 10:00 Registration & welcome coffee 10:00 – 10:20 Opening & Welcome 10:20 – 11:00 The territorial development of the BSR 11:00 – 11:40 Maritime Spatial Planning in the BSR 11:45 – 13:00 Lunch 13:00- 15:00 Role-playing session: Making futures together 15:00 – 15:30 Coffee break 15:30 – 16:00 The BT2050 territorial scenarios 16:00 – 17:30 Interactive session: How can the BT2050 territorial scenarios inform your work? 17:30 – 18:30 Main conclusions of the day and networking 18:30 – 19.30 Mingle
05 March 2020
- Workshop
Kick-off: Future Migration Scenarios for Europe
Nordregio joins a consortium of European researchers and statisticians for a Horizon 2020 project that focuses on future migration scenarios for Europe. On 29-31 January, the kick-off partner meeting takes place at the Aalborg University, Copenhagen, including a public conference day on 30 January. The Future Migration Scenarios for Europe (FUME) project aims at understanding the patterns, motivations and modalities of migration at multiple geographical scales, from international through regional to the local, and on imagining possible futures. FUME will study the migration to a from several key migration cities/centres to determine 1) the major factors explaining migrant movement patterns by analysing regional and local circumstances that either attract migrants or ‘push’ potential migrants to move, and 2) elaborate how possible future regional sociodemographic, economic and environmental challenges may shape future migrant movement patterns in Europe. Nordregio is leading two work packages, WP2 on Migration data and WP7 on Communications and dissemination. During the public one-day conference, the consortium partners will present themselves and their role in the project. Moreover, invited speakers will present their work from closely related projects. Participation in the conference is free of charge, but we ask attendants to register so we can prepare name tags and make sure we have sufficient space for everyone. Online registration Programme 9:00 Arrival, registration 9:30 Welcome & introduction to FUME (Henning Sten Hansen, AAU) Keynote by Christian Albrekt Larsen (FLOW Project, AAU): Mass migration and generous welfare states. Compatible or incompatible? 10:30 Coffee break 11:00 Presentation of related EU projects and initiatives: Jakub Bijak: The QuantMig Project (University of Southampton) – by video Tuba Bircan: The Hummingbird Project (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) Jesper Tjaden: The CrossMigration Project (International Organization for Migration, Berlin) – by video Fabrizio Natale: The Knowledge Centre for Migration and Demography (Joint Research Centre, European Commission) 12:30…
30 January 2020
- Project meetings
Webinar: Public Space in the Green and Recreative City
This webinar gives you the opportunity to participate in the workshop for the Public Space in the Green and Recreative City project, where authors from all Nordic countries will present their draft articles which will later be published as a book. Each chapter will also hear two discussants – one academic and one practitioner. We will stream the presentations (9.20 – 13.55) as well as the conclusions at the end of the day (15.10 – 16.00). You will be able to ask questions both written and orally as you prefer and thus partake in the discussions following the presentations. The aim of this project is to bring forward new planning and design visions for the green and recreative city, and thereby contribute to the development of sustainable Nordic cities. This project will analyse, discuss and develop new visionary knowledge on the preservation and design of public green spaces and recreational spaces for Nordic cities. It will include national expert reviews of current planning and design practices as well as workshops both scrutinising the current situation and developing future visions of the green and recreational city. Join the webinar through this link: https://nordregio.adobeconnect.com/webinar/ DETAILED Programme green visions. PROGRAMME 09.20 – 09.40 Introduction and overview of the day CONTEMPORARY TRENDS IN THE PLANNING, POLICY AND DESIGN 09.40 – 10.25 Denmark: Stig Andersson, Founder of SLA & Professor, Copenhagen University 10.25 – 11.10 Norway: Karsten Jorgensen, Professor, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) 11.10 – 11.40 BREAK 11.40 – 12.25 Iceland: Anna María Bogadóttir, Founder of Úrbanistan & Assistant Professor, Iceland University of the Arts 12.25 – 13.10 Finland: Ranja Hautamäki, Associate Professor, Aalto University 13.10 – 13.55 Sweden: Thorbjörn Andersson, Professor, SLU & Landscape Architect – SWECO Architects 15.30-16.00 Panel re-cap from the parallel sessions Sign up here! For technical questions regarding…
28 January 2020
- Webinar
The Öresund region: A success story?
The conference “Öresund region: A success story?” will take place in the middle of January, in Malmö Nordregio Head of GIS Department Julien Grunfelder will talk about the Öresund region in a Nordic context, providing insights into Öresund region by mapping it and analyzing the integration process between Denmark and Sweden. The transnational conference is organised by third-year social and political science students at Malmö University. The main objective of the event is to characterise the region by bringing together key stakeholders to discuss developments and issues facing the Öresund area. Academics, economic, and cultural representatives will have the chance to present their ideas about the region’s progress and possible obstacles to be faced in the future.
15 January 2020
- Conferences
Nordic Economic Policy Review 2020: Financial Regulation and Macroeconomic Stability
In the early 2000s, it was widely believed that the world economy had entered a period of larger macroeconomic stability, the Great Moderation. But the global financial crisis in 2007-09, the subsequent Great Recession and the euro crisis provided a vivid illustration of how vulnerable today’s economies are to disturbances in financial markets. As a response, financial regulation and supervision have been strengthened worldwide. This seminar on Financial Regulation and Macroeconomic Stability in the Nordics discusses how stable our financial markets are today and choices that Nordic policymakers in the fields of monetary and financial policy have to make. Leading Nordic academics present analyses of these issues that are to be published in the Nordic Economic Policy Review. The analyses will be commented by both academic experts and practitioners from central banks, ministries of finance and financial markets. The seminar will address questions like: How great are the risks of new financial shocks in the world economy? How resilient is the Nordic financial sector against such shocks? To what extent should monetary policy take credit growth and rising real estate prices into account? How stringent macroprudential rules are needed to limit household debt? Will EU bail-in rules help mitigate or will they exacerbate financial crises if they arise? Which are the pros and cons of membership in the EU’s banking union? Time and date: 10.00 – 17.00, 12 December 2019 (Note! The starting time has been changed!)Venue: Mariankatu 9 /Mariegatan 9, Helsinki, Ministry of FinanceOrganiser: Finnish Ministry of Finance, Nordregio and the Nordic Council of Ministers for FinanceFor whom: Policymakers, politicians, academics, statisticians, banking sector and others working with relevant topics The seminar is public but requires registration: https://www.lyyti.in/neprseminar2019 PROGRAMME Introduction by Lars Calmfors, Stockholm University and Research Institute of Industrial Economics Opening and welcome by Erkki Liikanen, former Head of Bank of Finland…
12 December 2019
- Seminars
Nordic Paths to Sustainable Integration
Nordregio will participate in the “Nordic Paths to Sustainable Integration” conference, organised by The Nordic Council of Ministers. The event will take place on the 18 and 19 of November, in Vedbæk, Denmark. Paula Lehtomäki, The Nordic Council of Ministers’ Secretary-General, will open the conference with a speech, welcoming participants on behalf of the Council. Among the topics that will be discussed and analysed throughout the conference are ways of creating the right conditions for integration, and what do immigrants themselves think, the importance of education, competence building and co-creation with civil society and minorities, as well as inclusion in the labour market.
18 - 19 November 2019
- Conferences
25th anniversary of Åland’s Statistical Bureau
Nordregio will join Åland’s Statistical Bureau for the celebration of their 25th anniversary. What does Åland’s journey look like in the future? What does youth think about the opportunities they have? How has the population of Åland developed during the 2000s and where does it stand within the Nordic context? To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Åland’s Statistical Bureau, Head of GIS department at Nordregio, Julien Grunfelder, will give a presentation, focusing on the future of Åland within the Nordic context. The maps accompanying the talk will portray the trends that population development on the island has experienced throughout the years. Register for the seminar here.
22 November 2019
- Seminars
MAMBA Rural Mobility Seminar #4
MAMBA project is organizing the 4th Rural Mobility Seminar, called “Rural development and mobility – more than just transportation”. The seminar, is scheduled for 12 November 2019, will take place in Bielsko-Biala (Cracow-Katowice-Ostrava Metropolitan Region) and will discuss the role of rural mobility for (social) cohesion. The Rural Mobility Seminar Series has been developed by MAMBA as an event series that reflects current trends and challenges of rural mobility. Each seminar is dedicated to one specific topic and is open for researchers, local decision makers, transport and mobility professionals interested in exchange, networking and new perspectives on rural mobility. With the seminar series, we aim at combining the broad knowledge and experience that exists within the MAMBA partnership with outside views and input. Rural Mobility Seminars are seminars in the best sense. They offer vast space for discussions among practitioners and professionals, framed by different keynote speakers who help to seize and understand mobility challenges and provide inspiration and potential solutions in the form of Good Practices.
12 November 2019
- Seminars
Smart Specialisation – lessons from Norway at Skolkovo School of Management in Moscow
The School of Management SKOLKOVO (Moscow, Russia) is currently hosting an education program for the top regional management teams in one of Russian regions, Khanty Mansiysk (Ugra), in order to help inspire regional implementation of development projects. One of the main aims of the program is to provide best practice cases on innovative diversification. Europe’s smart specialisation case is considered one such international approach to consider. Nordregio Research Fellow Mari Wøien Meijer will be giving a lecture on smart specialisation in Norway, and will also give an overview of the Norwegian Innovation system and cluster organizations, as well as providing some insight into the various policy instruments and funding programs available to the regions. The lecture will take place at 9am on the 1st of October in Skolkovo School of Management in Moscow, Russia.
01 October 2019
- Seminars
Arctic Circle Assembly 2019
Nordregio researchers will join the Arctic Circle Assembly to discuss the ways to enhance scientific knowledge in the Arctic. During the parallel session, Ágúst Bogason, Junior Research Fellow and Anna Karlsdóttir, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio, will present activities and various projects under the Nordic Council of Ministers Arctic Cooperation Programme. The annual Arctic Circle Assembly is the largest annual international gathering on the Arctic, attended by more than 2000 participants from 60 countries. It is attended by heads of states and governments, ministers, members of parliaments, officials, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, indigenous representatives, environmentalists, students, activists and others from the growing international community of partners and participants interested in the future of the Arctic.
10 - 13 October 2019
- Conferences
The 2nd Nunataryuk general assembly and Early Career Researcher workshop
The 2nd Nunataryuk general assembly including the Early Career Researchers workshop takes place on 24-27 September in Nice, France. During the general assembly, Nordregio researchers Timothy Heleniak and Leneisja Jungsberg will present results from the Atlas of population, society and economy in the Arctic. Many settlements in the Arctic are located on permafrost and an increase in global temperatures comprise a risk for transportation and housing infrastructure. Permafrost thaw is exposing the Arctic coasts to the rapid change that threatens the rich biodiversity, puts pressure on communities and contributes to the vulnerability of the global climate system. Nunataryuk will determine the impacts of thawing coastal and subsea permafrost on the global climate and will develop targeted and co-designed adaptation and mitigation strategies for the Arctic coastal population. Nordregio is responsible for developing a socio-economic atlas for measuring the impact of permafrost thaw on Arctic settlements. The meetings are co-hosted by our partner Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (LOV) in Villefranche-sur-Mer in France. More information about the project can be found at https://nunataryuk.org
24 - 27 September 2019
- Project meetings
Agenda 2030 at the local level: What’s next?
– A knowledge-sharing event for Nordic municipalities and regions Sustainable development is high on the agenda of the UN, country governments, businesses and numerous other actors. However, where a transformational 2030 Agenda is going to make a difference is at the local level, in the work of regions and municipalities all over the world. We therefore invite you to join an event under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers to learn about how Nordic municipalities are working with the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Get new inspiration and knowledge, meet potential partners and help send a strong message to our governments about what you need to further your work for a sustainable future. Held at one of the most sustainable venues in the Nordics, this knowledge-sharing event will give you an opportunity to either start-up, fine-tune or evaluate your work with sustainable development, whether you represent a municipality, a regional authority, an NGO or another interested party. Presentations from the event are available below. Remember to ask the relevant person if you wish to use any part from a presentation. Plenary session Gladsaxe Sønderborg Åtvidaberg Kristiansund Glokala Sverige How to implement Social Environmental PROGRAMME 8.30 Registration 9.00 Introduction, Paula Lehtomäki, Secretary-General of the Nordic Council of Ministers 9.15 Keynote presentation: Global Goals for Local Priorities, Elin Slätmo, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio 9.45 Keynote presentation: A territorial approach to SDGs, Stefano Marta, Coordinator, OECD 10.15 Fika and room change 10.45 Parallel sessions (presentations and workshop): How to get started – with Line Vind from Gladsaxe municipality and Yasmine Dernelid from Åtvidaberg municipality How to implement – with Katrin Larsson from Örebro municipality and Ragnhild Marie Hammer from Arendal municipality How to follow up – with Arne Ingebrigtsen from Kristiansund municipality 12.30 Lunch 13.30 Parallel sessions (presentations and…
28 October 2019
- Conferences
- Seminars
Matcha utmaningarna i ditt lantbruk med enkla digitala verktyg
Föreläsningar, företagsmöten och workshop på temat: Hur kan digital teknik bäst gynna landsbygdsföretag inom areella näringar? Välkommen 8 Oktober, kl 13-16 till Vingåker Folkets park (Vingåkers kommun). Workshop är för mikro och småföretagare (1-49 anställda), som redan proaktivt arbetar med digitalisering eller är villiga att börja använda digitala lösningar, samt tjänstepersoner vid kommunala och regionala myndigheter. Program: 13.00 Välkommen (Vingåkers kommun) 13.05 Digitalisering inom areella näringar i Sörmland (LRF Sörmland) 13.15 Patrik från företaget IndesmaTech ger oss exempel från det digitala lantbrukets utveckling i Europa 13.30 Marcus från företaget Sensapp ger exempel på enkla digitala lösningar anpassade för lantbrukets förutsättningar och utmaningar 13.40 Nordregio: Landsbygdens digitalisering i Norden 13.55 Workshop/rundabordssamtal lett av Nordregio. Övergripande frågor vi diskuterar: • Hur används digitala lösningar i ditt företag idag (sociala medier för marknadsföring eller Internet of Things)? • Vilka är möjligheterna länkade till att använda digitala lösningar i ditt företag och den ekonomiska sektorn du representerar? • Hjälper digitala lösningar att överkomma utmaningar som finns i att bedriva företag på landsbygden? I så fall, hur? • Vilka är de primära utmaningarna för att implementera digitala lösningar och verktyg i ditt företag (till ex. kunskap, tillgång till finansiering, dålig uppkoppling, regler)? • Vilken typ av stöd behöver du för att öka digitaliseringen av ditt företag? 14.50 Uppsummering och hur vi tar det vidare (Nordregio) 15.00 – 16.00 Fika och mingel med företag som erbjuder digitala tjänster Om workshopen Syftet med denna workshop är ökad kunskap och insikter om de möjligheter och utmaningar som mikro- och småföretag på landsbygden möter i användandet av digitala lösningar och teknik. Workshopen syftar också till att identifiera vilken typ av stöd som företag behöver för att ta tillvara möjligheterna med digitalisering. Hur kan lokala och regionala förvaltningsmyndigheter (kommun, region, län, landsting) stötta landsbygdsföretag i digitaliseringsprocessen? Både företagsrepresentanter och representanter från kommunala/regionala…
08 October 2019
- Workshop
Cross border meeting: When planners meet, in the Gulf of Bothnia
We invite local-, regional-, and national-level spatial planners from Finland, Sweden, and Åland to join the cross border meeting: When planners meet, in the Gulf of Bothnia! The meeting will take place on 17-18 September 2019 in Pori, Finland. Meeting themes: Building Networks – Cross border and cross-level Stakeholder Involvement. Why? How? When? Lessons from FIAXSE. Results and recommendations If you have any questions please contact: Mari Pohja-Mykrä Satakuntaliitto mari.pohja-mykra@satakunta.fi Stefan Husa Ålands landskapsregering Stefan.husa@regeringen.ax Susanne Gustafsson Havs- och vattenmyndigheten susanne.gustafsson@havochvatten.se
17 - 18 September 2019
- Other
- Project meetings
Open seminar: Future of regional development
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 &…
12 September 2019
- Seminars
Webinar: How does second homes and seasonal tourism affect Nordic municipalities?
Welcome to a webinar built on the on-going research project “Urban-rural flows of seasonal tourists: Planning challenges and strategies”. In this project we investigate the impact of second homes and seasonal tourism in Nordic municipalities that has a large amount of second homes. Which challenges does this bring, and which strategies do the municipalities use to cope with this large inflow of people who spend time in the municipalities as tourists or second home owners? To shed light on these questions we have conducted case studies in five Nordic municipalities. The webinar will take place Thursday the 12 September 2019 from 12-14 CEST. What will you get from your participation? Be presented to the latest research within the field Get valuable experiences from Nordic municipalities Have the possibility to give feedback to an ongoing research study and give your input Possibility to get connected with people from across the Nordic region who work in municipalities and regions with the same difficulties and challenges Practicalities A webinar is an easy way to gather people who work within the same field and face similar challenges. All you need to have is a computer. Prior to the webinar we will send you the link to enter the platform and more detailed information about how to use the platform. Register here! Registration is open until the 9th of September. The presentation from the webinar can be found here.
12 September 2019
- Webinar
Nordregio keynote at EU Baltic Strategy Forum
Nordregio Director Kjell Nillson gives the opening keynote at the second day of the 10th Annual Forum for the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. He touched on demographic and economic changes and challenges in the Baltic Region, where Nordregio is involved in a series of major initiatives like the ongoing work on maritime spatial planning in Pan Baltic Scope or previous project such as the Baltic Urban Lab project on developing brownfields, the SEMPRE programme of social empowerment in rural regions and none the least: MAMBA, an Interreg project on social service access in remote regions, where Nordregio is also communications lead.
12 - 14 June 2019
- Conferences
Maritime Spatial Planning Forum – Global meets Regional
Nordregio together with partners from the Pan Baltic Scope project invite you to join the Maritime Spatial Planning Forum, which will take place on 19-21 November in Riga, Latvia. This time, the Maritime Spatial Planning Forum will be a platform where global MSP will meet the regional MSP. As a joint event of the 4th edition of the EU MARE/IOC-UNESCO MSP Forum and the 3rd Baltic MSP Forum, it will also conclude the results of Pan Baltic Scope project and discusses how these could be used in future and brought beyond the EU. Interactive workshops, plenaries and key-notes will give an opportunity to look at different MSP practices and solutions on a broader scale. Thus, the global aspect will be an added value throughout the whole event. The activities will highlight synergies between global and regional MSP initiatives while showcasing specific examples of good practices. The forum is organised by VASAB, the Pan Baltic Scope collaboration, IOC-UNESCO & EC DG MARE. For the latest updates, check the Pan Baltic Scope website: http://www.panbalticscope.eu/mspforum/ Join the MSP Forum in Riga to expand your MSP network and knowledge – regional solutions for global challenges!
19 - 21 November 2019
- Conferences
- Other
- Workshop
Almedalen events: Integration and challenged youth
a presentation of a study on the plight of young people in rural regions by Senior Research Fellow Anna Karlsdottir and an introduction to a report on integration of immigrants into the Nordic labour markets by Professor Emeritus Lars Calmfors, Stockholm University.
01 July 2019
- Conferences
Holiday places you want to come home to
Nordregio Research Fellow Louise Ormstrup Vestergård will give a presentation on the planning challenges faced by local communities with large groups of second home owners and many tourist - caught in a dilemma between wanting the business and activity generated by "non-locals", but having difficulties setting up and funding the infrastructure required
15 June 2019
- Conferences
Delivering green economies and skills for the future
Nordregio Academic Director Karen Refsgaard will give a presentation on bio- & circular economy and Research Fellow Leneisja Jungsberg will present the EU funded REGINA project on small scale communities with large scale economies (www.reginaproject.eu)
12 - 13 June 2019
- Conferences
Pan Baltic Scope: 3rd Partner Meeting & 6th Planning Forum
On 27 – 29 May, partners from Pan Baltic Scope project are meeting in Riga, Latvia to discuss the current status of the project and upcoming activities, as well as necessary preparations for the final conference of the project. The final conference of Pan Baltic Scope project will take place on 19-21 November in Riga. The conference will be a joint event together with the 4th edition of the EU MARE & IOC-UNESCO MSP Forum and the 3rd Baltic MSP Forum. More information about the conference will soon be available on Nordregio and Pan Baltic Scope websites.
27 - 29 May 2019
- Project meetings
The 8th Nordic Geographers Meeting
Nordregio Senior Research Fellow Timothy Heleniak and Junior Research Fellow Linnea Löfving will attend the 8th Nordic Geographers Meeting where they will present findings of the RELOCAL project. The event, focusing on Sustainable Geography – Geographies of Sustainability will be take place between 16 and 19 June, in Trondheim, Norway, and will try to offer answers to questions such as: What are the emerging challenges across the world and what role should or could the discipline of geography play in addressing and solving them, both within and beyond the academy? What emotions, behaviours, moralities, powers, transformations, hopes, grieves and responsibilities at different scales are implicated in thinking and acting sustainably?
16 - 19 May 2019
- Conferences
Integrating immigrants into the Nordic labour markets – Launch event for Nordic Council of Ministers report
Migration to the Nordic region increased strongly during the refugee crisis in 2015. On a per-capita basis, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have taken in more asylum seekers than most other European countries. In the coming years, these refugees and subsequent newcomers have to be integrated into the Nordic labour markets, if asylum is granted. This will be an extremely challenging process. All Nordic countries are characterised by significant employment gaps between natives and foreign born, with particularly large gaps existing in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Refugees in particular are more dependent on welfare support and less likely to be employed than natives. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have analysed measures to promote employment among migrants. Nonetheless, a systematic review of how different policies influence employment rates of refugees and other migrant groups in the Nordic countries has not been available previously. A new report produced by Nordregio for the Nordic Council of Ministers now gives an overview of existing measures to integrate immigrants into the Nordic labour market including policy recommendations and outlines of best practice. The report will be presented at a launch event at the Ministry of Finance in Oslo on 29 May. Venue: Ministry of Finance, Auditorium R5, Akersgata 59, 0032 Oslo (Norway) The event is free of charge but registration is mandatory. WATCH LIVE DOWNLOAD THE REPORT DOWNLOAD POLICY BRIEFS PROGRAMME 29 MAY 8:30 – 9:00 Arrival and Coffee 9:00 – 9:10 Welcome, Siv Jensen (Minister of Finance, Norway) 9:10 – 9:20 Immigration and integration in the Nordic Region – recent trends, Nora Sánchez Gassen (Nordregio) 9:20 – 9:35 Integrating immigrants into the Nordic labour markets – summary of the project, Lars Calmfors (Stockholm University and Research Institute of Industrial Economics) 9:35 – 10:30 Presentations of chapters from the report Education efforts and…
29 May 2019
- Publication launch
The 21st Nordic Demographic Symposium
Nordregio Senior Research Fellow Timothy Heleniak will offer a presentation regarding the impact and effects of migration on the Nordic countries, when analysing population trends, during the 21st Nordic Demographic Symposium. The event will take place between 13 and 15 June, 2019, in Reykjavík, Iceland, and brings together researchers, students, and other experts in population studies from the Nordic region. The main theme of the NDS 2019 is the past 50 years of innovative research in Nordic demography. The sessions will include presentations from all main areas of demographic research.
13 - 15 June 2019
- Conferences
International Conference “Challenges of Europe”
The 13th edition of the Challenges of Europe Conference organised by the faculty of economics at Split University in Croatia, will take place in Bol, Croatia between the 22nd-24th of May, 2019 Alberto Giacometti and Jukka Teräs from Nordregio are leading a 90min session on regional economic and social resilience. The aim of this session is to broaden the debate about place-based approaches to regional resilience and explore what matters should local communities consider to prepare for exogenous and endogenous shocks. The key questions addressed include: what types of risks are regions threatened to? Which actors and institutions are vulnerable? What factors and measures boost regional resilience? Recognising the need for place-based approaches to economic and social resilience, this session builds-up on the results of empirical research conducted in the Nordic Countries and the Croatian islands, in three related studies: Comparative overview of regional resilience in a diverse selection of Nordic case-study regions (Nordregio, 2017-2018) Industrial transformation of Oulu, Finland – an in-depth longitudinal analysis from the Resilience perspective (Nordregio, 2017-2018) Regional economic resilience in remote regions – Empirical findings from Croatian islands (University of Split, Faculty of economics, business and tourism, ongoing research) Finally, the session opens the debate to researchers and policy-makers in the field to lift new perspectives and provide a critical angle on the studies presented shedding a light on how resilience research can be enriched in the future. Find out more about the event here.
22 - 24 May 2019
- Conferences
Forum on Local Economic Development in Latin America and the Caribbean
The 3rd Forum for the Local Economic Development in Latin America and the Caribbean will take place in Barranquilla Colombia, between the 7th and 9th of May, 2019. This event brings together leaders and practitioners from national and subnational governments, the private sector, academia, civil society and others. The aim is to provide a platform for promoting international dialogue, sharing experiences and for developing new partnerships across countries and local levels. Under invitation from the UNDP, Alberto Giacometti, Research Fellow at Nordregio is holding a presentation on the in-depth study carried out on Regional economic and Social Resilience: An Exploratory In-Depth Study in the Nordic Countries. This session aims at introducing an external perspective to that of Latin America and the Caribbean. First, pointing out different types of ‘risks’ and ‘stress’ that threaten resilience in local communities in the Nordic regions. And secondly, this seminar addresses experiences of these communities in responding to such threats. Far from bringing a recipe ready to ‘copy-and-paste’, the intention is to generate debate about the role of the human factor for structural change. And particularly, how, bottom-up initiatives in accordance with the characteristics and competitive advantages of each territory strengthen the ‘adaptive capacity’ of their local communities. Experts, policy-makers, practitioners and other relevant professionals are cordially invited to share insights from their local perspectives to broaden the debate. To motivate discussion the participants will be asked to reflect on: What risks and long-term challenges can be identified to threaten local communities in Latin America and the Caribbean? Find out more about the event here.
07 - 09 May 2019
- Conferences
NNDR conference: Inclusion and Exclusion in the Welfare Society
The 15th interdisciplinary conference in disability research, hosted by Nordic Network on Disability Research, will take place between May 8 and 10th, in Copenhagen. Nordregio Senior Research Fellow Moa Tunström will give a presentation reflecting on the role of research and the researcher in a Nordic policy context. She is involved in a research project on planning and design of inclusive smart cities. This project is connected both to the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Nordic Co-operation Programme for Regional Development and Planning 2017–2020 and to the Action Plan for Nordic Co-operation on Disability 2018-2022, and therefore it is an interesting example of applied research at the research/policy interface. The session “Research and the Action Plan for Nordic Co-operation on Disability 2018-2022” also consists of contributions from the perspective of the Council of Nordic co-operation on disability, national policy level and an NGO.
08 - 10 May 2019
- Conferences
“What Works” Conference
On Monday, 1 April, The Nordic House in Reykjavik, Iceland, will host an interactive workshop called “Advancing Social Progress in the Nordic Region”. The event will address what Nordic countries are doing right, and how they can deliver better social, environmental and economic outcomes and increase the wellbeing of communities across the Nordic region. Nordregio Senior Research Fellow Nora Sanchez Gassen will give a talk related to the Agenda 2030 project and will present findings regarding the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at the local level.
01 April 2019
- Conferences
Reglab Sweden Annual Conference
Mash-up, new solutions for new times, is the theme of the annual conference of Reglab Sweden. Nordregio contributes with a workshop on the integration of Agenda 2030 and the UN Global Goals in municipal planning. Reglab is a forum for knowledge sharing and mutual learning on regional planning and development.
27 - 28 March 2019
- Conferences
Cross border meeting: Better maritime planning – towards a shared future, together
Nordregio invites experts working with fisheries, energy, spatial planning and local development to participate at the cross-border meeting which will take place on 26-27 March, in Umeå, Sweden. The aim of the event is to increase awareness and knowledge of cross-border blue growth issues and needs, and also to facilitate international collaboration between maritime spatial planners. The cross-border meeting is organized by the Pan Baltic Scope project partners. Find more information about the event here.
26 - 27 March 2019
- Project meetings
- Workshop
Webbinarie om inklusion: Från flykting till kollega
Alla är eniga om att civilsamhället spelar en avgörande roll för att öppna dörrar till yrkeslivet och samhället i stort. Hör civilsamhällesorganisationer och forskare diskutera vilken roll organisationerna spelar idag och vilken roll de bör spela i framtiden. När? Tisdag 5 mars 2019 kl.13.00-14.00 (GMT+1). Registrera dig Case #1 – Finland Ann-Jolin Grüne, Luckan integration – ett holistiskt vägledningscenter Luckan integration erbjuder information- och vägledning för invandrare i arbetssökning, studier, språkkurser, i att hantera byråkrati och att hitta både professionella och sociala nätverk. Vi erbjuder individuell vägledning, olika nätverkskoncept så som mentorprogrammet Fika, Kamratverksamheten Cirkeln och för professionellt nätverkande Dörren. Utöver det ordnar vi regelbundet kortare kurser i arbetssökning och sociala evenemang. Luckan är en privat förening och utgår alltid från individens behov. Case #2 – Sverige Astrid Gyllenkrok Kristensen, Yrkesdörren Yrkesdörren finns dels för att underlätta för nya svenskar att bygga ett professionellt nätverk i Sverige, men också för att underlätta för etablerade svenskar att tillvarata den kompetens som personer med utländsk bakgrund har. I förlängningen handlar det om att genom nya möten förbättra etableringen och att ge arbetsgivare tillgång till hela talangpoolen. Emma Hammar, grundare och verksamhetsledare, Kompisbyrån Kompisbyrån matchar nya och etablerade svenskar som träffas för enkla och roliga möten på ca 1 timme. Vi erbjuder enkla former av vardagsintegration för att göra det lätt och kul för alla att engagera sig! Idag finns Kompisbyrån i tio städer runt om i Sverige och ungefär 14 000 kontakter från över 126 länder har förmedlats. Målgrupp Integrationssamordnare i kommuner och regioner; Ledare och praktiker inom utbildningssektor och NGOs som arbetar med nyanlända Beslutsfattare på kommunal-, regional- och nationell nivå. Förväntat resultat Få ökad kunskap om särskilda utmaningar som utrikesfödda i Norden står inför. Ta del av expertanföranden om hur civilsamhällets organisationer arbetar för att förbättra etablering i arbetslivet för…
05 March 2019
- Seminars
Book launch “Maritime Spatial Planning – Past, Present and Future”
Countries across the globe are designing and implementing spatial plans in the sea at high speed. The book “Maritime Spatial Planning – Past, Present and Future” is the first comprehensive overview of maritime spatial planning (MSP). Among other authors, Nordregio researchers are sharing insights on public participation in MSP. The authors of the volume have managed to weave together different interdisciplinary strands of research, such as geography, urban planning, political science, natural science, sociology and education. Emerging from experiences in this changing and challenging endeavour, the authors have identified some key questions: How can maritime spatial planning deal with a complex and dynamic environment such as the sea? How can MSP be embedded in multiple levels of governance across regional and national borders – and how far does the environment benefit from this new approach? How involve those affected – even across borders if the institutional systems are still under development? Besides analysis and discussion, also possible solutions are explored. The book “Maritime Spatial Planning – Past, Present and Future” is co-edited by Jacek Zaucha (Maritime Institute in Gdansk) and Kira Gee (HZG Geesthacht). Nordregio Senior Researchers Andrea Morf and Michael Kull together with Kira Gee (HZG Geesthacht) and Joanna Piwowarczyk (Maritime Institute in Gdansk) have contributed to one of the chapters “Towards a Ladder of Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning Participation” that is based on the need to assess and compare participation processes across cases and countries and foster learning to develop public participation in MSP. The chapter shares theoretical reflections and results derived from the BaltSpace and the Baltic SCOPE projects. It presents an analytical framework to characterise participation in MSP, including a participation ladder emphasising power sharing, roles, functions and learning. This innovative and in many ways pioneering volume should be relevant for both students and scholars of MSP,…
07 March 2019
- Publication launch
Carbon Neutral Social Housing: Challenges Post2020
Countries across Europe will need to increase their rate of building retrofitting by up to 240%, starting next year to get on track to meet EU 2030 energy efficiency goals. The scope of this ambition is amplified by the fact that social housing makes up a substantial portion of the buildings in need of retrofit. To learn how to address these challenges, 150 policy-makers, planners, academics and stakeholders participated in Social Green’s mid-term conference at Casa da Música in Porto, Portugal 26 March 2019. Ryan Weber, Social Green project coordinator placed specific focus on the need to use EU funding to leverage private investment in building retrofits and to develop the skills and capacities for local actors who are ultimately transforming policy into action. Pedro Móia, CCDR partner, described the regional context for social housing, emphasizing that when it comes to retrofitting social housing across Europe, one size does not fit all. He noted that in Norte, Portugal, improving residents quality of life and the quality of the urban environment must be considered in concert with energy efficiency improvements to social housing. “The dignity of residents is at the core of the transition to energy success.” – Sorcha Edwards, Housing Europe Four experts, shared their insights during keynote presentations. Vasco Freitas, professor at Porto University, highlighted the mismatch between intended building performance and resident experience, proposing a “Passive Comfort Index” to measure resident experience within buildings. Sorcha Edwards, Secretary General of Housing Europe, noted that 4 out of 10 Europeans are overburdened by the cost of housing and that this can lead to an array of negative health outcomes. She emphasized that resident comfort is central to advancing building energy efficiency goals. “Which is more important for Northern Portugal; increasing energy efficiency or minimizing discomfort inside housing?” – Vasco Freitas,…
26 March 2019
- Conferences
Conference “Regions – Catalysts of Lithuanian Bioeconomy development”
The future advancements of bioeconomy in Lithuania is the focus of a conference taking place on 14 February, where Karen Refsgaard, Research Director at Nordregio, will give a talk about bioeconomy development in areas of the Nordic countries, emphasizing good practice examples. Among other related issues, the speakers will discuss about EU bioeconomy strategies, food manufacturing and strategies, biotechnology and will attempt to trace possible local-level synergies between regions of Lithuania. The conference is organized by Vytautas’ Magnus University’s Agricultural Academy, together with the Faculty of Bioeconomic Development.
14 February 2019
- Conferences
MAMBA Rural Mobility Seminar
GRASSROOTS – Rural mobility top-down and bottom-up On 21 February, MAMBA project will organise its 2nd “Rural mobility seminar”. The event will take place in Vejle, Denmark and will be the second in a series of six seminars. The thematic focus will be on grassroots initiatives, the challenges they face and the opportunities they bring. Particular emphasis will be set on practical insights from successful projects and initiatives, and we will provide ample space to network and mingle with other mobility stakeholders from the Baltic Sea Region and beyond. The agenda can be found here. To register for the seminar, use this link.
21 February 2019
- Seminars
BSR Stars S3 Final Seminar: “Specializing in bio- and circular economy in the Baltic Sea Region”
Nordregio welcomes to the final seminar of the BSR Starts S3 project which takes place on 26 March in Tampere. The seminar is targeted at regional and local authorities, as well as circular economy researchers and developers in the Baltic Sea Region. It provides an actual overview of bio- and circular economy opportunities and prospects for future cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. The seminar is also a great platform for networking. Being the final seminar of the EU Interreg BSR project BSR Stars S3, the event has a special focus on the project outcomes and discusses especially the ways to involve and support business in bio- and circular economy. A study visit to a future smart city district “Hiedanranta” in Tampere is organized for the seminar participants. Registration Register to the conference before 13 March here. For questions regarding the event, please contact: johanna.leino@tampere.fi About the BSR Stars S3 project The BSR Stars S3 project is a three-year project which has been focusing on the growth opportunities within bio-/circular and digital economy fields in the Baltic Sea Region. Nordregio was responsible for organising study tours around the Nordic region and developing policy recommendations to improve the knowledge among decision-makers at different levels. Find out more about the project here.
26 March 2019
- Seminars
Conference: “Davids and Goliaths: Regions in the Age of Urbanisation and Digitalisation”
Nordregio’s Director Kjell Nilsson give a keynote speech on urbanisation, digitalisation and immigration as three important trends in the Nordic Region. Regions are entities consisting of different types of places and spaces. There are cities, towns and rural areas with different potentials and challenges. Regions are also in constant flux due to versatile economic, social and cultural processes both internal and external to them. Megatrends, such as urbanisation and digitalisation, are affecting all kinds of regions and places by changing their positions, opportunities and future potential. Some regions turn out to be agile Davids and some transform into powerful Goliaths, but how will these transitions happen? Do we recognize the variety of these transition processes and are they real? What kinds of urban and regional development strategies are feasible? The conference is organised by the Nordic Section of Regional Studies Association (NoRSA).
17 - 19 June 2019
- Conferences
International Seminar on the Circular Economy and Energy
An international seminar in Lahti brings together actors from Finland and the Baltic Sea area to learn about the most recent topics in the circular economy. Jukka Teräs, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio will share Nordic experiences and policy recommendations with the circular economy field. How could actions at regional level become a part of the solution to global problems? What is the role of regions? what kind of barriers are there in the way to profitable circular economy business? The seminar provides an understanding of these questions and more the topic is addressed at European, Nordic and Finnish level. Good practices in the field of the circular economy are presented as well.
01 February 2019
- Seminars
BioWiseTrans Final Conference: “People and Networks Matter – Enabling Sustainable Bioeconomy Transition”
Nordregio invites you to the final conference of BioWiseTrans project “People and networks matter – enabling sustainable bioeconomy transition”. The event will take place in Karlstad University on 27-28 March. Transforming the current economy into a ‘new’ bioeconomy needs changed institutional frameworks at regional and national level, sensitive to and inclusive of placebased knowledge. The conference seeks to better understand the role of people and networks in this transition. New innovative products and services continue to emerge, which will further increase the demand for biomass. This transition leads to both an increased demand for landbased biomass and its multiple uses. Important questions emerge: How to use the land? How can different interests be combined? One of the parallel workshops “Land-use conflicts, and management solutions to unlock the transition to a biobased economy” will address these questions. The workshop is organised by Nordregio’s Senior Research Fellow Elin Slätmo. At the conference, industry, academia and public organisations will also discuss challenges and opportunities and the role of people and networks in the new bioeconomy era. Nordregio’s Research Director Karen Refsgaard and Senior Research Fellow Michael Kull, who also manage the BioWiseTrans project, will facilitate different discussions and collect input for policy recommendations. Key-note speakers from practice and science fields include: Dr. Gabriel Henrique Lui, Coordinator of Forest Economy Dpt., Federal Ministry of Environment Brazil, and Prof. Pekka Leskinen, Head of Bioeconomy Programme, European Forest Institute; Thea Lyng Thomsen, development consultant at GreenLab Skive in Region Midtjylland, Denmark and Olav Wicken, professor at the Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture at University of Oslo, Norway. Conference fee: 2 300 SEK (exclusive VAT). Programme People and Networks Matter
27 - 28 March 2019
- Conferences
Skills for resilient regions: Nordregio Forum 2019
Welcome to two full days of key-notes, panels and discussions with experts, practitioners and more. Nordregio Forum 2019 will be held on Iceland for the second time, this time in beautiful Harpa in the centre of Reykjavik. The full programme and more information can be found on our new event website: https://nordregioevents.org/forum2019
27 - 28 November 2019
- Nordregio forum
Launch of Nordic Economic Policy Review 2019: Climate Policies in the Nordics
The 2019 edition of the Nordic Economic Policy Review will be launched on 14 May, 2019, in Copenhagen. This year’s edition, titled “Climate Policies in the Nordics”, looks into the into climate change from a Nordic perspective. Are we doing enough? Can small countries like the Nordic ones affect global climate policy? The publication consists of five articles signed by experts from Norway, Denmark and Sweden, and three of them will be presented during the launch, followed by a panel discussion with Ida Auken (DK), Karolina Skog (SE) and Peter Birch Sørensen (DK). The review is edited by professor emeritus Lars Calmfors and professor John Hassler with contributions from among others Peter Birch Sørensen and Katinka Holtsmark. The launch is free of charge, but registration is mandatory. Download the publication here PROGRAMME 9.00 Welcome 9.10 Introduction by Lars Calmfors, Research Institute of Industrial Economics and Stockholm University 9.20 Presentation by Naghmeh Nasiritousi, Stockholm University: International Climate Policy in the Post-Paris Era 9.40 Presentation by Mads Greaker, OsloMet and Statistics Norway: Global Impact of National Climate Policy in the Nordic Countries 10.00 Presentation by Katinka Holtsmark, University of Oslo: Supply-Side Climate Policy in Norway 10.30 Panel with Ida Auken, Karolina Skog and Peter Birch Sørensen The launch will be moderated by professor John Hassler, Stockholm University and University of Gothenburg
14 May 2019
- Publication launch
2nd partner meeting of Pan Baltic Scope
On 11-12 December, partners from Pan Baltic Scope project are gathering in Riga, Latvia to discuss the current status of the project and upcoming activities. Senior Researchers Andrea Morf and Michael Kull will discuss state and development of two activities that Nordregio is in charge of in the project “Land-Sea Integration” (LSI) and “Lessons Learned”. They will also present a data sharing table which intends to support planners and partners in the project to structure and share knowledge and data. The tool will also help to answer important LSI related planning questions within the project by connecting data both between sea and land, between countries and between different data actors.
11 - 12 December 2018
- Project meetings
The Nordic Pavilion at COP24 – the UN Climate Summit
The Nordic Council of Ministers once again organizes a Nordic Pavilion at the UN Climate Summit, to function as a platform for global dialogue and knowledge sharing. The programme highlights Nordic solutions to global challenges, but also questions the way forward towards a carbon-free society – see all events at https://www.norden.org/en/cop24 Nordregio organizes two events, one on energy efficiency in the building sector and the other on the future of the bioeconomy in the Nordic Region: Nordic Bioeconomy – past, present and future Greening Buildings for a Low-Carbon Economy – How to Maximise Energy Efficiency in the Building Sector
03 - 14 December 2018
- Conferences
SEMPRE final conference
On 27-28 November, the final conference of the SEMPRE project “Make empowerment happen! Changing mindsets for better social services” will take place in Riga. Nordregio’s role in the project has been to develop an “Empowerment Handbook” based on the collection of good practice examples from project partners and assist the partnership in the compilation and dissemination of recommendations targeted at social service providers and policymakers. The “Empowerment Handbook” is already available on the SEMPRE project’s website.
27 - 28 November 2018
- Conferences
ESPON BT2050
On November 22 Nordregio will participate in the kick-off of the ESPON BT2050 project in Warsaw. The aim of ESPON BT2050 is to develop territorial scenarios for the Baltic Sea Region that can work as input to key policy questions of the BSR, including: – What are the main processes, factors, obstacles, drivers (economic, social, spatial, environmental, technological, political etc.) that will shape spatial development and integration of the BSR by 2030 and 2050? – What kind of synergies and conflicts exist between those factors (in particular from the perspective of the key policy processes and the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region)? – What are the long term trends and their territorial impact? – Which are the possible black swan and wild card events that can break existing trends and syndromes of BSR spatial development and integration? – Which territorial development and spatial integration scenarios can the BSR face by 2050? – What are the policy implications of these scenarios? – Shall the VASAB vision and long-term perspective be altered? Nordregio is the lead partner in a consortium consisting of Spatial Foresight GmbH , Spiekermann & Wegener, Stadt- und Regionalforschung (S&W) and S. Leszczycki Institute Of Geography and Spatial Organization – Polish Academy Of Sciences (IGSO-PAS). The lead stakeholder is the Ministry of Economic Development in Poland.
22 November 2018
- Conferences
Vård och omsorg på distans (VOPD) – Healthcare and care with distance-spanning technologies
On 20-21 November, Nordregio will participate in the kick-off conference of the project “Health care and care with distance-spanning technologies (Vård och omsorg på distans)”. The kick off will take place in Storuman in north western Sweden, hosted by the lead partner Centre for Rural Medicine. This is a three-year project that aims at supporting the development of distance health care solutions in the Nordic Region – from primary care and home care services to more specialised health care. The project is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers as one of Sweden’s chairmanship projects. Nordregio is contributing to the project by measuring the effects on accessibility and regional growth as well as assisting with support and ongoing evaluation. Healthcare and care with distance – What are the challenges regarding demographic development
20 - 21 November 2018
- Conferences
Rural attractiveness and local empowerment – the Nordic Way
Nordregio Head of Communications Michael Funch will present two Nordregio projects at a seminar on integrated spatial planning at CANaction School of Urban Studies, in Kiev, Ukraine. The presentation includes the so-called “Attractiveness Project” from the work of the Nordic Thematic Group on Sustainable Rural Development and the EU funded REGINA project on the empowerment of small-scale communities with large-scale industries, regarding resource-based economies in sparsely populated regions. Find more about Integrated Spatial Planning for Amalgamated Hromadas programme.
12 - 13 November 2018
- Seminars
Business from Bioeconomy – International matchmaking and business coaching event
BSR Starts S3 project invites you to join the transnational matchmaking and business coaching event which takes place in Karlstad, 4-5 December. The Business from Bioeconomy – matchmaking and business coaching event is targeted at the business sector, researchers and bioeconomy developers in the Baltic Sea Region. The event provides a platform to enhance new cooperation, find international partners, develop bioeconomy business and facilitate international exchange of knowledge in the field. It includes company cases, good practices from the Baltic Sea Region and two thematic workshops focusing on biobased materials and biofuels, to discuss concrete challenges and enhance new cooperation and partnerships. The event offers business coaching by Swedish and Danish coaches for bioeconomy companies and the opportunity to showcase your project, organization or company by the exhibition organized during the event. Please, find the business coaching and exhibition options in the registration form. Participation in the event and business coaching is free of charge! Registration Please, register for the event here by 4 November. For questions regarding the event, please contact: paula.holst@regionvarmland.se
04 - 05 December 2018
- Other
REVIVAL kick-off meeting in Georgia
On 1-2 November, partners from Nordregio, the Leontief Centre and Kazbegi Local Action Group are gathering to kick-off the REVIVAL project in Kazbegi town, located near Mount Kazbek, one of the highest peaks in Georgia, rising over 5000 meters. This first meeting is a great opportunity to get to know each other, as well as to learn about regional development in Georgia, Russia and Sweden. Two main sessions of the kick-off meeting are based on the workshops organised by Nordregio. They will focus on two main concepts explored in the ESPON Bridges project, namely Transitional Labour Market and Residential Economy. The main expected outcomes of two workshops are to transfer knowledge of these two concepts, to identify areas for case studies that have geographic specificities (mountainous, insular, sparsely populated or coastal) in Georgia and Russia and to prepare a framework for the case study analyses. A study visit in Kazbegi organized by local partners will end the two-day meeting and provide a better perception of this mountainous locality to the Russian and Swedish partners. The REVIVAL project aims at exploring new approaches to study local and regional development in mountainous and sparsely populated areas.
01 - 02 November 2018
- Project meetings
Development forecasts for Russian Arctic Regions
On 6-7 November, Nordregio’s Senior Researcher Timothy Heleniak will be attend a seminar in the city of Naryan-Mar, in Russia. The focus of the conference will be on possible forecasts and means of developing Russian Arctic regions, with Timothy Heleniak giving a presentation on the demographic issues in the Arctics. The seminar is a joint initiative between the Russian State Hydrometeorological University and the ArcticCenter of the University of Northern Iowa, USA.
06 - 07 November 2018
- Conferences
State of the Nordic Region 2018 in Friday Academy
On 26 October, Nordregio’s Cartographer/GIS Analyst Gustaf Norlén joins a series of Friday Academy events in Örebro to present State of the Nordic Region 2018. Every second year, Nordregio announces the regional potential index that rank all Nordic regions based on demographics, labour market and economics. In the last index, Örebro region has dropped in ranking from place 30 to 37. The participants will discuss why Örebro is placed where it is in the ranking and what the potential for future development of the region are.
26 October 2018
- Seminars
Local Bioeconomy: Nordic experience
Senior Research Fellow Jukka Teräs will be participating at the final conference of VIHTA project on October 23rd, at Säätytalo in Helsinki, Finland. The VIHTA project 2015-2018 aims to define the concept of the distributed green and competitive bioeconomy and demonstrate concrete operational model of piloting. VIHTA project is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland and has been implemented in collaboration between Natural Resource Institute Finland LUKE and ProAgria Lapland. At the final conference, Jukka Teräs will be giving a presentation called “Developing local green economy: Nordic context and experiences.”
23 October 2018
- Conferences
Arctic Circle 2018 Assembly
On 19-21 October, Arctic Circle 2018 Assembly will gather political and business leaders, environmental experts, scientists, indigenous representatives, and other international stakeholders to address issues facing the Arctic. Timothy Heleniak, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio, will present preliminary results on the demographics and well-being of youth in the Arctic. The presentation will be based on his forthcoming chapter in the publication “Arctic Youth and Sustainable Futures” which is a follow-up report to the Arctic Human Development Report.
19 - 21 October 2018
- Conferences
GENERATION 2030: Global Goals for Local Priorities
Which Nordic municipalities are “first movers” in working with the Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the 2030 Agenda? What challenges and success factors have they met? What are the next steps for implementing the 2030 Agenda at the local level? Nordregio and The Nordic Council of Ministers are pleased to invite you to discuss these questions at a launch event of the report “Global goals for local priorities: The 2030 Agenda at local level”. The event will take place on Monday the 5th of November 2018 at 13:00 – 15:00 in Nordens Hus, Copenhagen. The report describes the work of 27 municipalities from all around the Nordics and shares ideas on how to get started, build on own strengths and contribute to the Global Goals by focusing on local priorities. Representatives from Nordic municipalities will share their experiences and will together with authorities from the national and regional levels, discuss next steps for implementing the 2030 Agenda at the local level.
05 November 2018
- Publication launch
Conference for 10th anniversary of Scandinavian Heartland
On 16th-17th October, Scandinavian Heartland organisation is celebrating 10 years of successful cross-border collaboration, and has invited actors from across the region to share their journeys. Mari Wøien, Junior Research Fellow at Nordregio, is invited to give a speech on the status, challenges and opportunities in the border region. She will discuss how to use best practice-cases from other border regions in the Nordic Region and illustrate different ways of working with cross-border topics. Some of the topics from the State of the Nordic Region and the Nordic Thematic Group for Innovative and Resilient Regions will be touched upon too. The Scandinavian Heartland is primarily a collaboration between ‘Fjellregionen’ (the mountain region) in Norway and Dalarna in Sweden, but the project also includes Akershus and Østfold on the Norwegian side, and Västra Götaland, Värmland, Jämtland and Västernorrland in Sweden.
16 - 17 October 2018
- Conferences
Keynote speech at the Eurocities Environment Forum
On 19 October, Senior Researcher Nora Sánchez Gassen will give a keynote presentation about Nordregio’s project ‘The 2030 Agenda at local level’ at the Eurocities Environment Forum in Tampere, Finland. The session will also include a panel discussion where Nora will discuss with city representatives about the role of SDGs in setting the agenda at the local level.
17 - 19 October 2018
- Conferences
The 1st Nunataryuk general assembly and a workshop
The 1st Nunataryuk general assembly and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) Young Researchers workshop takes place 30 September – 6 October 2018, in Venice, Italy. Nordregio researchers Timothy Heleniak, Leneisja Jungsberg, Eeva Turunen, and Shinan Wang will participate in both events. Permafrost thaw is exposing these coasts to rapid change, change that threatens the rich biodiversity, puts pressure on communities and contributes to the vulnerability of the global climate system. Nunataryuk will determine the impacts of thawing coastal and subsea permafrost on the global climate, and will develop targeted and co-designed adaptation and mitigation strategies for the Arctic coastal population. Nordregio is responsible for developing a socio-economic atlas for measuring the impact of permafrost thaw on Arctic settlements and will present preliminary results. The meetings are co-hosted by the Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes and held at the premises of the Venice International University on the island of San Servolo in the Venetian Lagoon, between Venice city centre and the island of Lido. More information about the project can be found at: https://nunataryuk.org/.
30 - 06 October 2018
- Conferences
- Project meetings
- Workshop
ICES Annual Science Conference 2018
On 24-27 September, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) holds its Annual Science Conference (ASC) in Hamburg. On the 25 September, Andrea Morf, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio and co-chair of the Working Group on Marine Planning and Coastal Management, arranges a conference session focusing on on assessing and analysing marine spatial planning and coastal management together with colleagues from the Marine Spatial Planning Research Network. The session titled “Assessing and analysing marine spatial planning – knowledge – indicators – visions“ aims to open up perspectives on both marine spatial planning (MSP) and integrated coastal management and drive ahead the agenda for research and practice development. Pan Baltic SCOPE work by Nordregio in the Land-Sea Interaction Work Package will be present through a presentation by Sarah Mahadeo, Helena Calado and Andrea Morf on a framework to analyse Land Sea Interactions in the maritime spatial planning. Sarah is a former MSP ERASMUS+ Intern at Nordregio and has recently successfully defended her Master Thesis with a refined version of the framework.
24 - 27 September 2018
- Conferences
Climate Policy and the Nordic Countries Conference
Climate change caused by emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases is one of mankind’s key challenges. Taking it on requires global action. The Nordic countries aim to take the lead in this process and to set an example for other countries, policies need to be effective in reducing emissions, cost-efficient, scalable and consistent with international agreements. But are they? These questions will be addressed at the NEPR conference held in Stockholm on 24 October, 2018. The following six topics will be discussed by invited researchers, experts and policy makers: Are climate policies in the Nordic countries cost-effective? What are the global impacts of national climate policy in the Nordic countries? To what extent does volatility of solar and wind energy production limit its potential? Should new Norwegian oil fields be opened up? How can the EU emission-trading system be made an efficient climate policy? How can insights from political economy research help design effective international climate agreements? We invite you to a full day with presentations of recent research, comments by academics and policy makers, and policy discussions. We will offer coffee and and light lunch to all participants. VENUE: Aulan, 6th floor of Centralposthuset, Mäster Samuelsgatan 70, Stockholm (Government Offices/Regeringskansliet) TIME: 8.30 – 17.00 PROGRAMME
24 October 2018
- Conferences
“Mobility innovations – only for cities?” Welcome to the first MAMBA mobility seminar
Drivers of mobility innovations are often large private companies. Naturally, such companies invest where they see the biggest market potential, which is usually in cities. Rural mobility innovations, on the other hand, are rather an offspring of local, sometimes non-commercial initiatives and satisfy different demand patterns. Rural mobility innovations are possible, yet they are hampered by various obstacles. The Rural Mobility Seminar Series has been developed by MAMBA as an event series that reflects current trends and challenges of rural mobility. Each seminar is dedicated to one specific topic and is open for researchers, local decision makers, transport and mobility professionals interested in exchange, networking and new perspectives on rural mobility. Nordregio is a partner in the MAMBA Interreg project and Research Fellow Anna Berlina will participate in the panel discussion “Barriers and enablers of innovation in rural mobility” together with researchers from Sweden, Latvia and Germany. The first mobility seminar takes place in Riga 27 September and you can register through this link: https://goo.gl/v4ABp6
27 September 2018
- Seminars
Conflicts and Synergies in Maritime Spatial Planning
Nordregio hosts a one-day workshop that focuses on different types of conflicts and synergies in maritime spatial planning (MSP). The workshop will contribute to the development of a report for the BONUS Basmati project. Partners from the BONUS Basmati project will gather to discuss and identify conflicts and look for synergies and solutions that (might) emerge and can be identified in the three case studies. They will also explore ways of including governance analysis and marine stakeholders (authorities and users) into practical case study work. In addition to that, invited MSP planners and experts* will give concrete examples on conflicts and synergies and explain some of the tools and methods they developed and applied to come to solutions. *Susanne Gustafsson, Swedish Agency for Marine & Water Management & Pan Baltic Scope project *Daniel Depellegrin Italian National Research Council – Institute of Marine Sciences
20 September 2018
- Workshop
REGINA Flagship Conference
What happens if a new mine opens, a new industry is developed or an old one dies out? How can a remote, sparsely populated community respond to major socioeconomic changes like that? And what tools are needed to prepare for and handle such a challenge? The REGINA flagship conference in Rovaniemi on 11 and 12 September 2018, will try to give answers to these and many other questions to the challenges faced by small Northern and Arctic communities. For the past three years REGINA has developed a platform of tools and know-how on how remote and sparsely populated communities can better prepare themselves for large-scale developments such as e.g. new mining projects or energy sector initiatives. Based on the widely used concept of local smart specialisation, Regina has developed a framework for setting up local strategies to maximise resources and avoid potential conflicts when faced with such challenges, to better anticipate future developments and retain business benefits in the local community.
11 - 12 September 2018
- Conferences
Nordic high-speed railways, regional growth and urban development
A seminar on Nordic high-speed railways, regional growth and urban development of small and medium-sized cities in Värmland and Østfold will be held at Kulturhuset in Oslo between 09:30 and 16:00 on October 1, 2018. The cross-border committee Värmland-Østfold is organizing the morning session on Nordic development prospects with high speed railways. The session includes several presentations on this topic. Nordregio is organising the afternoon session on the potential effects of a fast-rail connection on the urban development of small and medium sized-cities. The session is a workshop where participants will discuss the following research question in small groups: What could be the effects of the introduction of a fast rail connection between Oslo and Stockholm on the urban development of small and medium-sized cities in Värmland and Østfold regions? More information can be found in the programme. REGISTRATION FORM Please register by September 24 at the latest. The registration is individual. Participation at the seminar and lunch/snacks are free of charge. Transport and accommodation are the personal responsibility of the participants. In case you have any dietary restrictions, do not forget to mention those when you register. Note that the number of participants is limited. Address: Kulturhuset, Youngs gate 6, Oslo
01 October 2018
- Conferences
Rurban Planning Talks 2018
Nordregio’s Senior Research Fellow Moa Tunström will participate in Rurban Planning Talks in Mariestad. The focus of the event is the urban-rural (“the rurban”) landscape. The urban fringe or hinterland and urban-rural linkages and dependencies present cities to specific planning challenges. Moa Tunström will contribute with Nordic perspectives on the topic, based on ongoing projects within the Nordic Thematic Group on Sustainable Cities and Urban Development. The event is organized by Dacapo Mariestad, Chalmers University of Technology, City of Mariestad and Stads- och kommunhistoriska institutet.
27 - 28 September 2018
- Conferences
PECSRL 2018 – European landscapes for quality of life?
The 28th session of the PECSRL biennial international conference – European landscapes and quality of life – will be held between 3 – 9 September. Its main focus will be on the interactions between the quality of landscapes, food and life. The conference will be hosted by the research group “Territoires”, an interdisciplinary unit that gathers geographers, economists, agronomists and social and politic scientists from 5 institutions, who will discuss the importance of re-enrooting “food to place” as an alternative to globalization and a way for bettering Public Health and quality of life. Nordregio researcher Elin Slätmo will take part in the “Feedbacks from the management of natural resources and landscapes” session, with the presentation “Green infrastructure: a progressing spatial governing strategy in Europe.” More information about the conference can be found here.
03 - 09 September 2018
- Conferences
RSA Annual Conference 2018, Lugano Switzerland
“A World of Flows: Labour Mobility, Capital and Knowledge in an Age of Global Reversal and Regional Revival” The 2018 RSA Annual Conference aimed to address processes of global reversal and regional revival, in a world dominated by flows of capital, labor, and knowledge. Further it sought to understand the political, economic and social factors that initiate change and how these changes are finding new expressions as the world’s political and economic system continues to struggle with low rates of global economic growth, the rise of China as an economic super power, the on-going impacts of recession and austerity, and increasing levels of inequality. To study and debate these and many other questions, over 500 delegates from 51 countried came together in June 2018 in Lugano at the Università della Svizzera Italiana. Nordregio’s participation Iryna Kristensen held a presentation of the paper titled “The evolution of regional inequalities in Europe. Unveiling ”hidden” inequality patterns in Europe: “reality-check” at the lower geographical scale” in the “Housing, Inequality and Social Justice I” session. This paper is one of several outputs of an EU Horizon 2020 research project titled RELOCAL ‘Resituating the local in cohesion and territorial development’ (https://relocal.eu/), specifically linking with one work package which examines and maps patterns of regional inequality and change over time. The paper proposed three major objectives: (1) to respond to the call to move beyond GDP by extending the focus to include the social dimension of regional disparities; (2) to increase the geographic granularity by extending the scope of the database to NUTS3 level; (3) to identify and describe characteristics of European lagging regions (what are the common patterns?).
03 - 06 June 2018
- Conferences
Lunch seminar on Agenda 2030 in the Nordic Region, Umeå
On 20 September, Nordregio and Nordiskt informationskontor i Umeå host a lunch seminar on the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda. Senior researcher Nora Sánchez Gassen will present results from Nordregio’s project ‘The 2030 Agenda at local level’ which forms part of the Nordic Council of Minister’s Generation 2030 programme. The seminar is a part of Umeå’s SEE sustainability week. Participation is free of charge and includes a light lunch, but registration is required. For more information on the event and registration, see: https://www.facebook.com/events/265796414243596/
20 September 2018
- Lunch seminars
The 58th ERSA Congress – Places for People: Innovative, Inclusive and Liveable Regions
Because places matter, the 58th ERSA congress aims to put people back at the heart of regional and urban development with the purpose of examining how spatial and regional analysis can improve people’s lives. The Congress will host a large variety of themes in spatial, regional, and urban economics, economic geography, and regional policy topics like local governance and institutions. As one of the largest academic conferences in regional science worldwide, the ERSA congress attracts approximately 800 participants from all continents every year. More information about the congress can be found here. Nordregio’s participation On behalf of Nordregio, Shinan Wang will present a work-in-progress paper in the session “Disparities and Sustainability in Europe”, hosted by the RELOCAL project team. Titled “The evolution of regional inequalities in Europe”, the research is one output of the entire project, analysing patterns of regional inequality over time and whether differences among regions are growing wider or narrowing. The importance of choosing the most appropriate regional level in order to measure both disparities and outcomes is another important topic covered by the research paper, focusing on data at smaller European geographic levels and the ways NUTS 3 can be used to further and deepen the analysis.
28 - 31 August 2018
- Conferences
Lunch seminar on China, Nordic and Arctic cooperation
Nordregio is hosting a lunch seminar with Egill Þór Nielsson, Executive Secretary of the China-Nordic Arctic Research Center, who will give an introduction to the China-Nordic-Arctic Cooperation. Egill Þór Nielsson (Egill Thor Nielsson) is Visiting Scholar at the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC) and Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), and Affiliated Researcher at the Institute of International Affairs, University of Iceland. Please sign up by 22 August to anna.karlsdottir@nordregio.org
24 August 2018
- Lunch seminars
Towards Smart, Attractive and Resilient Nordic Regions: a dialogue among researchers and practitioners
Nordregio and Ålands Bildningsförbund welcome you to participate in a one-day seminar / workshop on regional development ‘hot-topics’ in the Nordic Countries and Åland. This interactive seminar will contain presentations and round-table discussions on global and local trends in rural development policy, attractiveness of rural areas and potential threats to their economic and social resilience. The purpose of this seminar is to share the latest research results from the work of Nordic Thematic Groups on 1) Sustainable Regional Development and 2) Innovative and Resilient Regions, with a broad focus on the diversity of Nordic regions. Experts, practitioners and other relevant professionals from Åland are cordially invited to provide their insights on these topics from their perspective during the roundtable discussions. These discussions will stimulate future research within the thematic working groups. Topics that will be discussed during the seminar/workshop. Final agenda will be shared before the event: Impact of LEADER Åland: from its foundation in 2006 – up until today Rural Regional Attractiveness: Nordic trends in migration, population change and employment development. Spiced up with initial insights from Åland Sustainable rural development without borders – transboundary collaboration across Finland-Åland-Sweden and beyond Resilient Nordic Regions: What threats do Nordic Communities face and how can they absorb change and strengthen their development paths. Digitalization as a tool for sustainable Nordic Regional Development Please, register to the event by 24 August here.
30 August 2018
- Seminars
ESPON Seminar with a focus on territorial cohesion, Sofia
On 30-31 May, Julien Grunfelder, Head of GIS Department at Nordregio, participated at the ESPON Seminar “Territorial Cohesion Post 2020: Integrated Territorial Development for Better Policies”. The event was organised in cooperation with the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council. The seminar gathered around 200 participants including policy makers, stakeholders, practitioners, scientists and experts, who are interested in understanding the territorial development challenges. The ESPON seminar “Territorial Cohesion post 2020: Integrated Territorial Development for Better Policies” was organised in the framework of the ESPON 2020 Cooperation Programme, which aims to support policy development for promoting territorial cohesion and harmonious development of the European territory. The next ESPON Seminar will take place in Vienna on 4-5 December, 2018. Austrian Presidency starts from 1 July. FInd more information about the seminar here.
30 - 31 May 2018
- Seminars
Baltic Urban Lab’s Final Conference
Baltic Urban Lab Final Conference “Dealing with the past & Planning the future – turning urban brownfield into possibilities” will be held in Riga, Latvia, during 6-7 September 2018. Cities around the Baltic Sea region are invited to join the discussions on how cities can better solve complex challenges related to brownfield redevelopment, and how to utilize brownfields’ full potential to support sustainable urban development. Close cooperation and partnerships between different actors like land-owners, developers, citizens and the city are necessary from the beginning of the redevelopment process. Two crucial topics will be covered around brownfield development – how to deal with the site’s past and possible contamination of soil and at the same time develop visions and plan for the future land-use of the site in cooperation with stakeholders. Nordregio’s Research Fellow Sandra Oliveira e Costa will participate in the session “Towards integrated and partnership based planned of brownfields” during which she will share the lessons learned from the Baltic Urban Lab Project. Sandra will also moderate an interactive session “Planning the future – co-creating visions and land-use plans” which will be held on the second day of the event. The two days will be filled with keynotes, discussions on how the cities could together tackle the challenges surrounding brownfield regeneration in the Baltic Sea Region as well as getting to know the outputs of the project – all four Pilot Sites will be representing their main achievements during the Final Conference. The conference language is English. Participation in the conference is free of charge. Please register here by 22 August 2018! More information about the conference and the agenda can be found here
06 - 07 September 2018
- Conferences
Presentation on “Socio-economic trends in the Nordic Region – Cooperation, successes and challenges”
On 31 May, Julien Grunfelder will present selected inputs from the State of the Nordic Region which was published in February, and the web-mapping tool www.nordmap.org at Sofia University. The audience will consist of researchers and students in the fields of geography and Scandinavian studies. Read more about the event here. (external link).
31 May 2018
- Conferences
Pan Baltic SCOPE Opening Conference
Join the opening conference of the Pan Baltic Scope project on June 20 in Malmö, Sweden. The conference will focus on cross-border maritime spatial planning in the Baltic Sea region. Maritime spatial planning (MSP) has become a hot topic and the need for concrete tools to ensure sustainable development of our seas is growing, both when it comes to the economic, social and the environmental aspects of planning. Pan Baltic Scope is an international collaboration of planning authorities and regional organizations created to strengthen knowledge sharing and enhance cross-border co-operation within MSP in the Baltic Sea region. Topics in focus at the conference will include: Ecosystem-based approaches, green infrastructure, land-sea interaction, cumulative effect assessment and socioeconomic analyses in MSP Nordregio is co-hosting the conference and two of our researchers will contribute to the programme of parallel sessions: Exploring the depths and shallows of Land-Sea Interaction in MSP, an interactive workshop hosted by Andrea Morf Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio and leader of this Work Package in the Pan Baltic Scope Project Impacts on the environment and importance to society – including cumulative effect assessment and socioeconomic analyses in maritime spatial planning. Speakers: Michael Kull, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio along with Soile Oinonen, Anni Konsap, Maija Holma, Jonne Kotta, Jan Schmidtbauer Crona, Lena Bergström, Stefano Menego (AdriPlan), Marina Markovic (PAP-RAC), Michael Assouline (EEA), Kari Hyytiäinen (BalticApp, University of Helsinki) The organizers invite practitioners and researchers interested in MSP, as well as policy makers and stakeholders involved in marine and coastal activities to get acquainted with Pan Baltic Scope and its plans, as well as diving together into the vast expanse of the maritime spatial planning. Participation in the conference is free of charge. Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
20 June 2018
- Conferences
Changing Ruralities: Nordregio Forum 2018
Nordregio Forum 2018 will focus on rural and regional development. What makes certain regions more attractive than others? What makes young people want to stay or return to some regions while others are suffering from out-migration of especially young women? What makes a region attractive for companies to invest in? What are the potentials for tourism in Nordic regions? We will dive into these, and more, questions and issues related to rural areas in the Nordic countries. With key-note speakers, parallel sessions, panel discussions, study visit and more, we hope to once again create an interesting arena for policy makers, organisations and other working with these themes to meet, discuss and exchange knowledge and experiences. Our key-note speakers come from a variety of fields and together they form an interesting mixture, providing us with a broad knowledge and experience. Read more about the key-notes here. The venue is Grand Hotel in Lund, Sweden. Just north of Malmö and only 45 minutes by train from Kastrup, Lund with its approximately 89 000 inhabitants is definitely a city, but with rural areas just around the corner. REGISTRATION The registration to the event is closed but if you missed the chance to join us, stay tuned on social media as we will share some highlights from the event: #nordregioforum2018 #nrpol. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin. Take a look at this short film from last year’s Forum to get a brief idea of what Forum could be!
28 - 29 November 2018
- Nordregio forum
Nordic Ruralities: 5th Nordic Conference for Rural Research
Nordregio participates at the 5th Nordic Conference for Rural Research taking place in Vingsted, Denmark from May 14-16. Nordregio researchers will present results from the State of the Nordic Region 2018 that takes a closer look at five different Nordic regions in a cross-sectorial perspective. Find the programme of the conference here
14 - 16 May 2018
- Conferences
Study tour to Lapland, Finland
On 14-15 June, Nordregio invites to a study tour in Kemi and Rovaniemi, North Finland that is a part of the BSR Stars S3 project. The study tour will provide an opportunity for participants to meet and discuss potential cooperation possibilities with the main actors of the Lapland Innovation System. The study tour is hosted by Nordregio, The Nordic Council of Ministers, the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth – together with the Regional Council of Lapland. You can register for the tour by emailing Mari Wøien at Nordregio (mari.woien@nordregio.org) no later than 7 June, 2018. *Attending the study tour is free of charge, but accommodation and transportation costs will be taken care of by the participants.
14 - 15 June 2018
- Study tour
Nordregio joins 8th High-Level Dialogue in Tromsø
On 30 April, the 8th High – Level Dialogue invites researchers, policy makers and entrepreneurs to discuss sustainable development goals in the Arctic. Among speakers, Ágúst Bogason, Arctic Cooperation Programme Intern at Nordregio will share closing remarks at the session “Sustainable Arctic Tourism: How might Arctic Tourism tie in with the SDGs?”. The session will be hosted by the Polar Research and Policy Initiative (PRPI), in partnership with the Centre of Sámi Studies at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway and the University of Southern Denmark. The event is free of charge and you can register here. Date and Time Mon 30 April 2018 10:00 – 12:30 CEST Location: Auditorium 2 Teorifagbygget Hus 1 University of Tromso – The Arctic University of Norway | UiT 9019 Tromsø Norway
30 April 2018
- Conferences
Agenda 2030 at the local level
Dear Nordic planners and practitioners, do you want to know which Nordic municipalities are front runners when it comes to working with the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Do you want to exchange experiences with other municipalities who are working with the SDGs and discuss solutions for joint challenges? Are you interested in becoming part of a network with other Nordic municipalities who work with the SDGs? We are pleased to invite you to a seminar entitled “Agenda 2030 at the local level” that will be held at Nordregio headquarters in Stockholm between 10:00 and 16:00 on 9 May 2018. Topics that will be discussed during the seminar: Who are the forerunners in working with the Agenda 2030 and the SDGs?Presentation of new Nordregio report “Agenda 2030 at the local level”: Overview of first-mover municipalities, their activities, experiences and plans. How can the SDGs be linked to municipal policies and planning?Interactive discussion and knowledge sharing about successes, challenges and lessons learned in working with the SDGs How can we measure progress in working with the SDGs?Presentation and discussion about existing indicator systems and the need to develop new indicators for the local level Should we create a Nordic network of municipalities who are working with the SDGs?Interactive discussion about interests and needs to create a platform for future collaboration and knowledge exchange. REGISTRATION FORM Please register by 30 April at the latest. The registration is individual. In case you have any dietary restrictions, do not forget to mention those when you register. Participation at the seminar and lunch/snacks are free of charge. Transport and accommodation are the personal responsibility of the participants. Address: Nordregio, Holmamiralens Väg 10 (Skeppsholmen), Stockholm
09 May 2018
- Seminars
Immigration and integration in the Nordic Region – get the facts straight
Statistics about migration have become both politically and economically prominent and sensitive. As a follow-up to the publication of State of the Nordic Region 2018, a special edition on immigration and integration of newcomers in the Nordic countries was published on “Nordic Day”, March 23.
23 March 2018
- Publication launch
Launch of State of the Nordic Region 2018
On February 8, the new edition of State of the Nordic Region will be launched in Stockholm by Margot Wallström, Swedish Foreign Minister and Minister for Nordic Co-operation and Dagfinn Høybråten, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Nordregio has been publishing State of the Nordic Region and its predecessors since the 1980s. The latest edition is by far the most ambitious, giving a comprehensive overview of key socioeconomic areas in the Nordic Region. It is published by the Nordic Council of Ministers with Nordregio as the main editor and will thus reach a much wider audience than previous editions. By mapping and documenting information about the state of the Nordic region(s), Nordregio empowers local, regional and national authorities in the Nordic countries to make informed decisions. Solid documentation of development trends is a necessary starting point for developing good policy. At the same time, the State of the Nordic Region 2018 is also a treasure trove of information for the Nordic population at large, as well as a must read for international actors who want to learn about the Nordics and maybe even get inspired by the Nordic model, however differently it may be played out in the various regions and areas. The publication is centred around a number of custom made maps and other visual presentations, highlighting one of the specialties of Nordregio and making the most of our Geographical Information Services (GIS) expertise. The launch will take place in Stockholm on February 8, followed by a roll-out in all the other Nordic countries as well as events in the Baltics and possibly also Brussels and elsewhere.
08 February 2018
- Publication launch
Nordregio celebrates 20 years anniversary together with a series of lunch seminars
Nordregio celebrates its jubilee with a series of lunch seminars together with guest speakers from Nordregio’s past and future. Lunch seminars take place at Nordregio, in Stockholm throughout the year. Nordregio alumni and partners are warmly welcome to participate in the lunch seminars by signing up beforehand to Ann-Louise Lindqvist. Upcoming Nordregio jubilee lunch seminars 2017 5 December 11.45-13.15, the last lunch seminar with Ole Damsgaard Our last lunch seminar of 2017 will be held by former Nordregio Director Ole Damsgård. This will also be the last in a whole series of lectures and events marking the 20th anniversary of Nordregio. Throughout his career, Ole Damsgård has worked with spatial planning and development, as a regional planner, as director of the Danish Town Planning Institute and as a teacher in a number of institutions, the latest being a position as lecturer at ETH University in Zürich. Ole was director of Nordregio from 2005 – 2013 and since 2013 he has worked as head of the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, part of the European Territorial Cooperation Objective, also known as Interreg, supported by the European Regional Development Fund. His main focus is on ultra-peripheral and Arctic areas. In his talk, “Today hot, tomorrow not. Reflections on client-based research”, Ole will reflect on his time at Nordregio and the need for research on and in the Arctic region. Past events 27 October 11.45-13.15, lunch seminar with Hólmfríður Bjarnadóttir“Environmental requirements in land use planning” 8 September, lunch seminar with Tuija Hilding-Rydevik“Environmental issues are far from reality” 15 May, lunch seminar with Kaisa Lähteenmäki-Smith‘Experimental culture as part of evidence-informed policy in Finland’, and reflections on the transition between employment at Nordregio and next/current workplace. 21 April, lunch seminar with Kai Böhme and Erik GløersenThe experience from the European consultancy sector to life at…
05 December 2017
- Lunch seminars
Nordregio Forum 2017: Nordic Cities – Connecting the Urban and the Rural
WELCOME TO NORDREGIO FORUM AT VULKAN IN OSLO 29 – 30 NOVEMBER Read a brief summary of Day 1 Read a brief summary of Day 2 How do we create stronger linkages between the urban and the rural parts of our regions? How can smaller cities take the lead within sustainable development? What makes them attractive? How can cities in the Nordic countries benefit from Nordic collaboration and export promotion? Nordregio Forum 2017 will further examine these questions from the perspective of small and medium-sized Nordic cities. Nordregio Forum is also an arena for discussion and networking during parallel sessions and roundtables. The results will feed directly into the new Thematic Group on Sustainable Cities and Urban Development, established by the Nordic Council of Ministers as part of the Nordic co-operation programme within the regional sector – and contribute to the new initiative “Attractive Nordic cities”, part of the Norwegian chairmanship programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers for 2017. Nordregio Forum is the annual meeting place for professionals and policymakers working with urban planning and regional development in the Nordic countries. It is a forum for exchange of ideas and trends, for sharing new knowledge, examples and experience, and for pushing national and regional policy agendas by learning from each other.
29 - 30 November 2017
- Nordregio forum
The 7th Nordic Geographers Meeting
The Nordic Geographers Meeting (NGM), an international geography conference, is held every second year in different Nordic countries. This time, the event takes place at Stockholm University on 18-21 June. Over 15 sessions are united under the theme “Geographies of inequalities” which encourages researchers to discuss spatial and social injustices on local and global levels. Nordregio joins the conversation by presenting latest research on Nordic Arctic studies, green growth, immigration and urban planning. Meet Nordregio’s researchers: Nordic light on the suburb – developing a research proposal (Moa Tunström, Senior Research Fellow) Session N5: Nordic light on the suburb as place, discourse and planning project19 June, 9:00-12:00, Room: Kungstenen, Aula Magna * Nordic Arctic sustainable development. Outcome of a foresight study in 12 Nordic towns (Anna Karlsdottir, Senior Research Fellow) Session C9: Resilient or vulnerable? Towns in transition20 June, 9:00-12:00, Room: Y20, House Y * Green transition – knowledge inequalities and perspectives of green growth in Nordic regions and municipalities (Gunnar Lindberg and Jukka Teräs, Senior Research Fellows) Session E3:1 Knowledge inequalities in the transition to sustainability20 June, 13.15-16.30, Room: U28, House U * Urban living labs – precursors of more inclusive and experimental ‘planning cultures’? (Lukas Smas, Senior Research Fellow) Session N13 Urban living labs, between hype and inequalities: how to support sustainability transformations in an everyday geography of collaboration?20 June, 15:15-17:00, Room: Y20, House Y * Detecting and visualizing the territorial inequalities across Europe over time (Timothy Heleniak, Senior Research Fellow, and Shinan Wang, Junior Cartographer/GIS Analyst) Session B4:2 Territorial inequalities and territorial cohesion – European dimension21 June, 10:15-12:00, Room: Y11, House Y * The Geography of Immigrant Diversity in the Nordic Region (Timothy Heleniak, Senior Research Fellow) Unaccompanied minors to the Nordic Region: mapping of the current migration trends among unaccompanied minors seeking refuge in the Nordic countries…
18 - 21 June 2017
- Conferences
Youth, migration and small communities facing large industries as Nordregio’s topics in ICASS IX
One of the largest scientific Arctic seminars in the Nordic, ICASS, takes place in Umeå 8-12 June, and Nordregio is presenting in several sessions. Nordregio’s highlight lands on Saturday 10 June, when we draw all the recent Arctic studies together and challenge the participants to join the side-event Maps Mingle! Arcum (Arctic Research Centre), Sámi dutkan (Language studies) and Vaartoe (Centre for Sami Research) at Umeå University are hosting the ninth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IX) organized by the International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA). Theme this year is “People & Place”. 8 June, Newcomers to the North: International Migration into the Arctic (Session: Mobile Working Arrangements in the Arctic and elsewhere 11.30-16.00) Timothy Heleniak, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio With “globalization”, there has been increased international migration into the Arctic, though there has not been a lot of systematic data and study of these flows. Lack of knowledge of these “new comers” and their impact was cited as one area in need of further research in the recent Arctic Human Development Report. This paper quantifies the number of international migrants and several key characteristics of these “newcomers” such as their role in labor markets and societies. Data will be analyzed on the total number of international migrants, countries of origin, gender, age, level of education, and occupation or sector. The paper begins with a discussion of migration theory and the Arctic economy. This is followed by a discussion of data available for analyzing international migration in the Arctic. Analysis of both stocks and flows in international migration make up the bulk of the paper. >> Read more about migration and labour market study 11 June, Resource Development & Extractive Industries (13.30-15.00) Leneisja Jungsberg, Research Fellow, Nordregio Capacity building and strategic management of resource based industries in the…
08 - 12 June 2017
- Conferences
Nordregio Forum 2016: From Fossil to Bio-based and Sustainable Economy
Nordregio Forum has successfully come to an end – You can watch presentations online! Nordregio Forum 2016 gathered together over 150 innovators, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners from different organisation from all over the Nordic countries and elsewhere in Europe. During those two days Nordregio Forum 2016 offered a wide range of perspectives on the green transition state of the play and also some critical point of views. It served also as the final conference for the Nordic Prime Ministers’ green growth initiative and results from the many projects under the initiative. Heating, cooling and transport should get more attention in the debate on future energy systems, says Minister of Economic Affairs Olli Rehn (Finland). Rehn: ’We are at the start of a new economic era’. Forests are one of the most important natural resource for Finland and that makes bioeconomy very natural and important for the Finnish economy and according to him circular economy is the key to sustainable economic growth. Rehn started an inspirational day at the Nordregio Forum and discussions about Green transition and how to fast forward it together. Secretary General Dagfinn Høybråten (Nordic Council of Ministers) shared some results about the Nordic Cooperation for green transition. “There is a huge need to be attentive to the changes that need to happen in human behaviour. We can encourage this with policy measures. Don’t underestimate a population that is ready for change – push that change”. All presentations are found here: http://videonet.fi/web/norden/nordregio/ Over 150 participants at the Nordregio Forum 2016. Photo: Jussi Mäkinen. The global energy challenge presented by Mika Anttonen, ST1 energy company CEO. NETWORK AND FOCUS DURING OUR FOUR PARALLEL SESSIONS 1. Circular economy and industrial symbiosis – How to get it going? How to establish circular economy and promote circular business models in the regions?…
22 - 23 November 2016
- Nordregio forum
“Södertörnskommunerna bygger 72 000 bostäder fram till 2030. Hur bygger vi en stad vi vill bo och leva i?
Funderar du på hur visioner om hållbar och attraktiv stadsutveckling kan bli verklighet? Hur arbetar vi med hållbar utveckling i dagens stadsutveckling? Hur bygger vi den stad vi själva vill bo i? I projektet Södertörnsmodellen har några av Södertörnskommunerna under tre års tid samverkat med akademin och näringslivet för att ta fram nya och innovativa lösningar som bidrar till en hållbar stadsutveckling. Projektet har utvecklat processer, verktyg och metoder för social hållbarhet, medborgardialoger, ekosystemtjänster, mer effektiva planprocesser och en utvecklad samverkan mellan kommun och näringsliv. Under den här dagen får du inblick i projektets resultat och konkreta tips som du kan ta med dig i ditt arbete med hållbar stadsutveckling. På konferensen får du möjlighet att utbyta kunskap och erfarenheter, få nya perspektiv från inbjudna experter och du träffar andra intressanta personer från kommuner, näringsliv och akademi som arbetar med hållbar stadsutveckling. Konferensen är kostnadsfri och du anmäler dig här Har du svårigheter att anmäla dig? tryck då på länken: https://goo.gl/forms/L2DnwnNNwF0ijdc83 Se mer: http://sodertornsmodellen.com/ Plats: Södertörns högskola, Tid: 8 november, kl. 8:30-15:00 Vi ser fram emot en intressant och givande konferens! Vid frågor kontakta: estelle.conraux@white.se
08 November 2016
- Conferences
Increasing Income Inequality in the Nordics – How do we handle it?
Recent decades have seen a strong trend towards increasing income inequalities in all advanced economies. Although the Nordic countries have traditionally been characterized by low income dispersion, they have also been exposed to this trend. This conference will focus on widening income differentials in the Nordics and appropriate policies to address the issue. The conference will be chaired by Claus Thustrup Kreiner, University of Copenhagen. Key issues that will be analysed are: How do income inequality in the Nordic countries relate to the international trend? Which similarities and differences in developments of income inequality are there among the Nordic countries? How have policies responded to increasing income differentials? What are the implications of demographic changes, such as an ageing population and migration, for income inequality? How much can – and should – tax and benefit policies do in order to even out income differentials? What can, and should, education policy do? How important is the gender dimension for income distribution developments? At the conference, preliminary versions of papers commissioned for the 2018 issue of the Nordic Economic Policy Review, will be presented and discussed. The issue is edited by professor Lars Calmfors, Stockholm University and professor Jesper Roine, Stockholm School of Economics. The papers are written by leading international and Nordic scholars in the field. They will be commented by both policy makers and academic colleagues. The conference will also include a panel discussion on income distribution policies with participation of policy makers. Signup at www.nepr.eventbrite.com PROGRAMME 9.00 – 9.10 Opening remarks by Simon Emil Ammitzbøll, Danish Minister for Economic Affairs and the Interior 9.10 – 9.55 Jon Parelliusen, Christophe André, Causa Orsetta and Mikkel Hermansen, OECD: The International Trend towards More Income Dispersion and the Nordic Countries. Comments by John Hassler, Stockholm University and Jørgen Elmeskov, Statistics Denmark. 9.55…
26 October 2016
- Conferences
- Seminars
Launch meeting: Social Green – Regional Policies towards Greening the Social Housing Sector
LAUNCH MEETING, 25 October in Matosinhos, Portugal Welcome to the Regional Policies towards Greening the Social Housing Sector launch meeting in Portugal 25 October 10:00-13:00. The launch is organized back to back with the project kick-off meeting, including study visit and political board 25-27 October. Registrations: fatima.franco@ceiia.com The Social Green project intends to address the issue of green social housing in order to contribute to reduce the GHG emissions as well as to reduce the fuel poverty indicators in EU regions towards a lower carbon economy. In more concrete terms, Social Green aims promote the greening of the social housing sector through mutual learning and development of improved regional policies. It will provide the opportunity to explore green building practices and significantly reduce GHG emissions through cost-effective means while providing much needed housing in a healthy and sustainable manner. Through interregional cooperation Social Green stakeholder regions will identify, share and transfer innovative methodologies, processes and good practices in developing and implementing greener social housing sector policies, targeting new constructions or retrofitting existing buildings. The partnership includes 8 partners from 6 countries (Portugal, Spain, Croacia, Estonia, Sweden, Romania), with capacity to influence the policy instruments related to greening the social housing sector. Nordregio will be lead partner as well as advisory partner by providing scientific and technical support to the consortium. The other partners, mainly municipalities, energy agencies and Managing Authorities will jointly work in the development of the main project’s activities, mainly to develop a produce regional self-assessment reports and regional action plans.
25 - 27 October 2016
- Lunch seminars
- Project meetings
Nordregio at Almedalen
Almedalen is where Swedish politicians, journalists, organisations, lobbyists and others meet to discuss and network during one week per year. The Nordic Council of Ministers will hold several seminars on Monday 4 July and Nordregio will host one of them. We will present NordMap, our interactive web-mapping tool as well as State of the Nordic Region. The seminar will be held in both English and Swedish. For more information see the official programme or get in touch with us directly.
04 July 2016
- Conferences
Baltic Scope Partner Meeting
“The Future – planning for results and recommendations” As the second phase of the project has come to an end it is time for all partners to meet and discuss the outcomes, lessons learned and plan for the next steps ahead. For more information visit our research page.
02 - 03 March 2016
- Project meetings
REGINA kick-off
REGINA’s first partner meeting will take place in a sparsely populated area where most of the local economy is related to tourism activities, where Sami culture and reindeer herding is prevalent and where plans for mineral exploration and extraction are being discussed. This will be an excellent opportunity to get to know all other partners and formally kick-off our activities! The purpose of this meeting is to meet and get to know each other, and to introduce the activities that we will collaborate on over the coming two and a half years. We will focus on learning about the project from an overall perspective, as well as the immediate activities taking place over the next six months. In particular, each local partner will initiate their local smart specialization strategies and the research partners will develop specific tools that will comprise them. The official programme can be downloaded here Press invitation (Swedish) For more information regarding the kick-off please contact Katti Lundström. For project related matters please contact Ryan Weber. For communications matters please contact Johanna Feuk.
19 - 21 January 2016
- Project meetings
Nordregio Forum 2015: Nordic City Regions in a Global Environment
WELCOME to Nordregio Forum, 25-26 November 2015, the annual meeting place for professionals and policymakers working with urban and regional development in the Nordic countries. Nordregio Forum 2015 will focus on the strengths and weaknesses of Nordic city regions in a time characterized by fierce global competition, climate change and migration. Through international scholars and inspiring city examples, panel discussions and peer-to-peer dialogue, we will explore ways forward under three different, cross-cutting themes or challenges: 1. Competitive and sustainable city regions2. Effective governance of city regions: collaboration within and between city regions3. Liveable and socially inclusive city regions Nordregio Forum will also be an arena for discussion about a Nordic urban agenda for closer collaboration and increased political focus on our Nordic city regions and their needs in order to fulfil their important roles. PRICE Two days conference including lunches and dinner at Kronborg Castle: 3450 DKK + VAT One day participation fee: 1750 DKK + VAT ACCOMMODATION Hotel reservations are available via the registration form. VENUE Kulturværftet (Allegade 2) , Helsingør, Denmark.Easy to get to by train: Copenhagen/Kastrup Airport – Helsingør PROGRAMME Download the Forum programme here!A more detailed programme, including speakers in the two parallel sessions on day 2 will be published closer to the event. ORGANISERS AND SPONSORS Nordregio and Nordic Council of Ministers through its Committee of Senior Officials for Regional Policy in cooperation with the Danish Ministry of Business and Growth, RegLab Denmark and University of Copenhagen.
25 - 26 November 2015
- Nordregio forum
Breakfast seminar at Färgfabriken
“Research meets practise – include and engage the inhabitants of Stockholm in the planning” This seminar is a collaboration between Nordregio, Stockholm Resilience Centre and Färgfabriken. The seminar will be held in Swedish and is a part of “Experiment Stockholm”. The full programme can be found here.
18 November 2015
- Seminars
Symposium on Planning Nordic city regions: experiences and agendas
Welcome to a symposium on planning Nordic city regions. The symposium is an opportunity to share and exchange experiences of spatial planning at a city regional scale and to discuss the challenges and possibilities for urban political agendas in the Nordic countries with focus on the added value of a Nordic perspective. The aim of the symposium is to be a venue for discussions around the politics, planning and practices of Nordic city regions. To stimulate the discussions Professor Klaus Kunzmann will have a presentation on German experiences with city regions and PhD Moa Tunstöm will reflect on the urban norm in city planning. Furthermore there will be workshops on including social and everyday dimensions in city regional planning, and new technical possibilities of city regional spatial analysis. The symposium is a follow up of five national meetings with Nordic city regions in Copenhagen, Malmö, Oslo, Tampere and Reykjavik in 2014, organised by Nordic Working Group 4 Green Growth: Sustainable urban regions. Invited to the symposium are city representatives and regional authorities working with spatial planning and regional development issues but also national representatives from all Nordic countries will participate. The programme can be downloaded here. The seminar opened up good discussion as the city representatives, regional authorities, consultants and researchers came together in May to share experiences and to come up with solutions. Read the seminar summary here
12 May 2015
- Conferences
Final seminar of the Nordic Demography Programme
Seminar and workshop, April 23 at Nordregio, Stockholm, Sweden Outmigration of young people, ageing populations and low birth rates. These are trends that imply severe challenges to municipalities and regions in many parts of the Nordic countries; potentially leading to weakening tax bases, difficulties in providing services and challenges in finding or maintaining an appropriate labour force. What can regions and municipalities do to address these challenges themselves? What should be done at the national level? On April 23, Nordregio welcomes you to a seminar and workshop where we will focus on these questions. Together with Nordic regions and municipalities, NGOs and researchers, we will have a day of knowledge sharing based on the results and lessons learned from the six Nordic projects that received funding from the Nordic Demography Programme 2014-2015. The Nordic Demography Programme was initiated in 2012 with the aim to focus on demographic changes and their impact on development in Nordic regions and municipalities outside the metropolitan areas. The funded projects include local or regional authorities from at least two Nordic countries, as well as private organisations or NGOs that cooperate with public authorities. For more information about the projects, see link to the right. Download the programme here. Registration is closed.
23 April 2015
- Seminars
Nordic Bioeconomy and Regional Innovation
Nordregio Forum 2014 12-13 November 2014, Keflavik, Iceland Photo left to right: Ane Cecilie Blichfeldt & Johannes Jansson/norden.org Nordregio and partners are pleased to invite you to the second Nordregio Forum, the meeting place for policymakers, researchers and practitioners, seeking to ensure sustainable regional development in the Nordic countries. This year Nordregio Forum will focus on the potential of bioeconomy for growth and inclusive development in peripheral and sparsely populated regions, especially in the Arctic. Our distinguished speakers will highlight research results, case studies and policy recommendations within the following topics: Bioeconomy mapping – Towards an innovative and responsible bioeconomy How can new innovative use of local natural resources contribute to regional economic growth and development? What are the socio-economic and environmental consequences of the rise and fall of large-scale projects Multilevel governance and spatial planning in connection with large-scale projects Demographic challenges in the Arctic – What attracts young men and women, and skilled workers? The forum also includes excellent networking opportunities, as well as an exciting excursion to Grindavik, Asbru and Reykjanes, showing regional development in practice. Target groups The forum welcomes officials at relevant ministries in the Nordic countries, staff at regional and local authorities, non-governmental organisations, universities, research institutes and private consultants. Download detailed programme for Nordregio Forum 2014 Speakers Ragnheiður Elín Árnadóttir, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Iceland Dagfinn Høybråten, Secretary General, Nordic Council of Ministers Calum Davidson, Director of Energy and Low Carbon, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scotland Peter Mehlbye, Director of the ESPON Coordination Unit, Luxembourg Kaisu Annala, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Finland Dadi Mar Kristofersson, Dean of School of Social Sciences, University of Iceland Göran Cars, Professor, Royal Institute of Technology and Kiruna Municipality Anna Karlsdottir, Associate Professor, University of Iceland Keith Storey, Memorial University of Newfoundland St John’s, Canada…
12 - 13 November 2014
- Nordregio forum
The Territorial Dimension of Poverty and Social Exclusion in Europe (TIPSE)
Seminar and workshop, 25 November 2014, Stockholm, Sweden The purpose with the workshop is to discuss the main conceptual, methodological and empirical findings from TiPSE and their relevance from a European and Nordic perspective. Maps: Hungarian Academy of Sciences The ESPON TiPSE project has tackled the issue of poverty and processes of social exclusion in Europe. The project has contributed to improve the evidence base for policy to promote inclusive growth. The ESPON TiPSE has been aiming at supporting policy, both by enhancing the evidence base and by identifying existing good practice. Poverty and social exclusion are essentially relative concepts, arguably meaningful only within a specified geographical context. This underlines the central importance of observation, measurement, and careful data analysis as an essential preparation for intervention. The main outcomes of the project have been the generation of a regional database and associated maps, of poverty and social exclusion indicators, as well as mapping of macro and micro-scale patterns of poverty and social exclusion across the ESPON space. Furthermore, the project has derived recommendations for the monitoring of territorial trends in poverty and processes of exclusion. Register by email to Veronique Larsson by 17 November. State your name, organisation, and email address. The seminar is free of charge, but the number of participants is limited. The language of the seminar will be English. Download a draft of the workshop programme
08 October 2014
- Project meetings
- Seminars
Social Innovation
Finding new approaches for tackling long-standing demographic and welfare challenges in the Nordic countries. 16 September 2014, Nordregio The Nordic countries and regions are facing severe demographic changes such as stagnation or reduction of the share of working age population, out-migration and significant increase in the share of population over the age of 65. In the framework of the Nordic Council of Minister’s Working Group on Demography and Welfare, the workshop Social Innovation: new Nordic approaches for solving demographic and welfare challenges explores the potential for social innovation to identify and implement new ways for addressing durably this demographic shift and mitigates its impact on local communities and for which better integration of responses developed at local, regional and national authorities in the Nordic countries. The concept of social innovation has been around in the academic discourse for a while now, but it has gain momentum recently to its emergence in the European policy discourse. It is about the development and implementation of new ideas (products, services and models) to meet social needs and create new social relationships or collaborations, i.e. using a more participatory approach. The objectives of the workshop are: To sharpen the understanding of how recent research on social innovation can provide possible tracks for developing new tools to support local initiatives in mitigating the impacts of the demographic shift To bring together policy-makers and practitioners from different institutional levels and open a platform for exchange of experience on applying the social innovation approach in meeting demographic challenges; To inspire new collaborative governance approaches for securing the provision of services in all parts of the Nordic countries. Nordregio invites regional and local practitioners and policymakers as well as researchers in regional studies to share their views and contribute to identifying the potential added-value of social innovation in…
16 September 2004
- Project meetings
Realising the bio-economy
Nordregio together with Karlstad university and Paper Province invite you to a seminar on realising the bio-economy. The bio-economy has come to the fore as a concept linking the challenges and opportunities with a transition to sustainable development. There is a need to generate new ways of working, new processes, services and products that can contribute to such a transition. Research and policy actors nationally and internationally are supporting various initiatives to address this need – not least with the establishment of the EU Bioeconomy Observatory. Broad collaborations across disciplines and stakeholders are a must to contribute to the realisation of the bio-economy. The aim with this seminar is threefold: To provide inspiration to address the agenda of how to realise the bio-economy To share knowledge and ideas from ongoing bio-economy projects To provide a meeting place for those working with the challenges of realising the bio- economy We hope that this seminar will contribute to the dissemination of knowledge between Nordic actors on this arena – with a focus on regional development and socio-economic dimension. The seminar is organised in collaboration between Nordregio, Karlstad University and the cluster organisation Paper Province. Together with Baltic stakeholders, we have received seed-money from the NCM to develop a workshop about trans-disciplinary development of the bio-economy. This seminar is in preparation of this subsequent workshop which will take place in November. At the seminar we get a presentation by Lene Lange about the development of the Danish Bioeconomy panel. Furthermore, the results from Nordregio projects on regional bioeconomy development as well as the current Nordregio activities on bioeconomy are presented, as well as the 10 year Vinnväxt project “Paper Province 2.0– an innovation system for a bio based economy”. The seminar also allows time for discussions – picking up burning issues across the…
08 September 2014
- Seminars
Attraktiva och hållbara stadsregioner
Utmaningar och möjligheter för nordiska storstadsregioner Onsdag den 5 februari 2014 – Nordregio, Skeppsholmen, Stockholm Photo left: Magnus Fröderberg/norden.org, Photo middle and right: Johannes Jansson/norden.org De nordiska storstadsregionerna växer snabbt och kraven ökar på den kommunala och regionala planeringen att möta den tilltagande efterfrågan på attraktiva och levande bostadsområden, samt effektiva och miljövänliga transportsystem. Samtidigt ställs allt större krav på att den fysiska planeringen ska koordineras över administrativa gränser och på samordning av sektoriella intressen, samt att planeringen ska bidra till grön tillväxt. Dessa är några av de utmaningar som behandlas under detta seminarium om planering för attraktiva och hållbara stadsregioner. Syftet med seminariet är att identifiera och diskutera möjligheter och utmaningar för planeringen av attraktiva och hållbara stadsregioner, samt att presentera olika planeringsverktyg och konkreta exempel på hur dessa utmaningar kan bemötas. Målet är även att seminariet ska bidra till kunskapsutbyte mellan nordiska storstadsregioner och prioritera framtida forskningsområden. Seminariet anordnas av Nordregio och Nordiska ministerrådets arbetsgrupp för grön tillväxt: planering och bärkraftiga stadsregioner. Vid seminariet presenterar fyra nordiska storstadsregioner sitt pågående arbete och hur de hanterar aktuella planeringsutmaningar med fokus på samspelet mellan den kommunala och regionala nivån. Vidare presenteras under seminariet en ny forskningsöversikt om grön tillväxt och fysisk planering. Dessutom redovisas resultaten från en utredning om vilka tekniska modellerings- och scenarioverktyg för planering av stadsregioner som finns tillgängliga och vilka modeller nordiska kommuner och regioner använder sig av idag. Seminariet avslutas med en paneldiskussion mellan forskare, kommuner och regioner.
05 February 2014
- Seminars