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Cross-sectorial collaboration and integration of innovative practices within current frameworks is essential to succeed.

In the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and emerging maritime activities, we need to redefine how we collaborate over sea basins in the Nordic and Baltic Region. Rapid growth in industries like wind energy, fishing, and shipping is good for the economy but can harm the environment. Finding a balance is crucial – but how?  The European Union is moving to update Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) practices in response to these challenges, but with knowledge and decision-making decentralised across countries and authorities, solutions are complicated to reach. Diverse countries and stakeholders possess pieces of the puzzle, underscoring the need for an MSP framework that is not only flexible but also visionary in the long term. We need to change how we use, know and plan the seas as we navigate a challenging future in which adaptive and collaborative governance is key.  eMSP NBSR brings together decision-makers to address challenges  The European Green Deal protects the seas, encouraging sustainable human activities in areas such as renewable energy and cleaner shipping. This is the backdrop against which the eMSP NBSR project operates. The research project, which stands for “Emerging Ecosystem-based Maritime Spatial Planning Topics in the North and Baltic Sea Regions”, develops knowledge and links stakeholders within the five most emerging topics in MSP: ocean governance, ecosystem-based MSP, sustainable blue economy, monitoring and evaluation, and data sharing.  Through collaboration and knowledge-sharing, eMSP is developing the capacity to better equip policymakers to address current and future challenges in the North and Baltic sea regions. The project’s culmination recently took place with a conference and the delivery of seven policy briefs, aimed at EU policymakers, local and regional authorities, maritime planners, businesses, NGOs, researchers, and universities.  Nordregio was responsible for facilitating the eMSP NBSR Scientific Advisory Board and for documenting the learning in…

In a world struggling with climate change, biodiversity loss and political uncertainty, problems and paths towards sustainable marine solutions are increasingly complex. In order to further study and develop approaches attempting to tackle challenges, Nordregio is a partner in the EU project “Emerging Ecosystem-based Maritime Spatial Planning Topics in the North and Baltic Sea Regions” – eMSP NBSR. The eMSP NBSR project gathers policymakers, practitioners, and researchers of 15 partner organisations from 9 countries and regions. Together, we seek to promote better integrated ocean governance, facilitate learning across use sectors and marine basins, and collaboratively develop strategies to promote a more sustainable use of our shared oceans. Solutions involve numerous actors with different ambitions and mandates, which increases the complexity. By developing capacity for implementing marine/maritime spatial planning and learning across sea basins in the North and Baltic Sea Regions, the project aims to promote a more integrated and long-term sustainable governance. Synthesis workshops and crunch time In the third week of September, Nordregio hosted an international synthesis workshop aimed at advancing the work with eMSP NBSR. The workshop also aimed to draw lessons learned from testing a collaborative learning approach to work with complex issues in marine governance. During the two intensive and interactive workshop days, the participants worked to fine-tune the seven policy briefs – completed by 80% when arriving at Nordregio’s office and crunched towards completion. eMSP NBSR project – a testbed for communities of practice  eMSP NBSR is built around so-called Communities of Practices (CoPs), as a working method and focuses on five critical topics: Ocean Governance, Integrating an Ecosystem-based Approach in Marine Spatial Planning, Sustainable Blue Economy, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Data and Knowledge Sharing. CoPs are an open problem and participant driven form of collaboration that can complement the existing formal procedures and help break…

The eMSP NBSR project – Emerging Ecosystem-Based Maritime Spatial Planning Topics in the North and Baltic Sea Regions, is making waves in the realm of maritime spatial planning (MSP) with two crucial gatherings scheduled in Stockholm next week. The project, which unites national and regional authorities, research organizations, and intergovernmental cooperations from the North and Baltic Sea Regions, aims to address climate change and achieve climate-neutrality targets through MSP. Recommendations for MSP authorities and stakeholders On September 20-21, stakeholders of the eMSP NBSR project will convene for a high-impact Policy Brief & Synthesis Workshop at Nordregio. This interactive session will focus on the outcomes of the five Learning Strands and horizontal themes, including Climate Change and the EU Green Deal. The event will focus on the development of policy briefs, and feature stimulating presentations by renowned external experts, from VASAB, among others. VASAB is an intergovernmental multilateral co-operation of the Baltic Sea Region in spatial planning and development. The Community of Practice (CoP) model helps to facilitate collaboration among policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. Through CoPs, the project’s Learning Strands focus on critical maritime spatial planning areas, incorporating science, innovation, and expertise in the following five key emerging topics: During the Stockholm workshop, the Learning Strands will get the chance to develop their work and collaboration – promising interesting discussions and insights. A Prelude to Innovation: Community of Practice on Sustainable Blue Economy The collaboration will kick off on September 19 with a “Community of Practice on Sustainable Blue Economy.” This session, dedicated to exploring multi-use strategies and policy recommendations for a sustainable blue economy in the North and Baltic seas, will employ marine spatial planning and legislation as tools for progress. Building on insights from previous Community of Practice meetings, this gathering will present a policy brief. This document compiles…

How can marine protected area establishment be promoted to support the fulfillment of the Swedish “30 by 30″ ambition to protect marine biodiversity? Why is there only one marine national park so far, even if 30 years ago several areas were proposed? How can the conflicts that often arise against nature protection be addressed in a constructive way? These are the questions that Dr. Andrea Morf, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio and scientific coordinator at the Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment, has analysed. The researcher discussed these issues and possibilities on the Swedish Science Radio and with local fishers of the Co-Management Initiative Northern Bohuslän. The world’s biological diversity and related ecosystem services are threatened both on land and at sea. The United Nations and the European Union are discussing how to protect significantly more nature than before, at least 30 percent of the entire planet’s surface. Also in Swedish waters, there are numerous proposals, some over 30 years old, such as those for new marine national parks, where so far only the Koster Sea marine National park on the west coast has been established. “There is an urgent need to understand and address conflicts and resistance that often meet initiatives for environmental protection,” says Dr. Morf. Together with colleagues from Luleå Technical University and Södertörn University, the researcher has been exploring the enablers and obstacles to establishing new marine protected areas by the example of three marine national park proposals in Sweden: Koster, Nämdö and Sankt Anna. Koster national park was established in 2009, Nämdö is under development, and Sankt Anna has other protection than a national park. According to Dr. Morf, important enablers include shared and trusted knowledge, dialogue and mutual learning, skilled facilitation, time and resources for such a process, strong drivers bringing the different key actors to the table, and…

What is the role of territorial governance in supporting smart specialisation? Is maritime spatial planning moving towards policymaking that is inspired by territorial governance approaches? Nordregio’s researchers have published two articles on these topics within the fields of EU regional and EU marine policy. – The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the vital role of local actors and knowledge in helping build regional resilience and deliver effective policies for citizens. Territorial governance and smart specialization can help bring policymaking closer to citizens and rebuild trust in politics. This is particularly important in peripheral and isolated regions where citizens feel like they have been left behind by the forces of globalization and the knowledge-based economy, says Senior Research Fellow John Moodie. Territorial Governance and Smart Specialisation: Empowering the Sub-National Level in EU Regional Policy     The concept of territorial governance has received little attention within political science and EU Studies despite being advocated as a central element of European Regional Policy. This article examines the key dimensions of territorial governance, arguing that it is both distinct and complementary to multi-level governance, as it focuses on the mobilisation of regional actor groups and the integration of endogenous knowledge in policymaking. – For example at Nordregio, the local actor groups contribute to our work with their knowledge. They work to improve local life and thus are key players in territorial governance. We work with Local Action Groups members in our Thematic groups, Swedish fishermen in maritime spatial planning workshops and with an activist in a Copenhagen neighbourhood working on URBACT to name a few, explains Senior Research Fellow, Michael Kull. The article further explores whether there is merit in understanding smart specialisation as a territorial governance-based model by using examples of S3 process implementation in four Nordic regions. The article finds that smart specialisation can be considered a territorial governance approach, as it promotes bottom-up EU policymaking driven by regional and local knowledge. Moreover, by empowering the subnational level, a territorial governance lens may help to bring EU Regional policymaking closer to citizens,…

Help Nordregio to visualise life in the Nordic cross-border areas during COVID-19 Do you live in a Nordic cross-border area? Or have you visited any of these areas before or during the pandemic? Maybe you took a bunch of pictures there? The cross-border communities are facing many challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic and closed borders. Life is not the same any more – many have had to change their daily life and work routines. Nordregio researchers are working on several projects in relation to this situation and you will hear about them very soon. To complement the studies and raise awareness about the current challenges, we would like to ask you to contribute with pictures from Nordic cross-border regions. Guidelines for submission: The submitted picture is made by the person who is submitting; One person can submit up to 5 pictures; The pictures are taken in cross-border areas in the Nordics; The caption describes the location, time and situation portrayed; If people are portrayed in the picture, and their face is recognizable, their signed consent to publish a picture should be provided; If people in the picture are under 18 years old, the parents’ signed consent to publish the picture should be provided; The pictures size is min 1 MB – max 16 MB; The picture formats are jpg, jpeg, png. Share your pictures by the 5th of March! The pictures will be used to illustrate Nordregio’s scientific publications and communications material related to the studies. The submissions are not subsidized but a clear reference to the author will be made. If you have any questions or concerns, please, contact vaida.razaityte@nordregio.org

Nordregio is inviting applications for a senior position as Head of GIS Department. Working at Nordregio means an opportunity to become part of a truly international research environment with a focus on sustainable regional development in the Nordic region and beyond. It offers significant career development potential in terms of enhancing your competences through applied and policy relevant research, achieving an international network of contacts, as well as getting extensive experience in team and project management. You will also get rich opportunities to collaborate with regional and municipal stakeholders in the Nordic countries. Nordregio is currently seeking a new Head of GIS Department with: Expertise in GIS, geo-data, quantitative analysis, and applied research in the field of regional development. Experience in leading a team and managing projects as well as a successful track record in grant applications. Knowledge in geographies and socio-economic trends in the Nordic Region and beyond. A drive for working in teams and in an international applied research environment. Eagerness to present and disseminate results to different stakeholder groups, both orally and in written format. Competences and qualifications As Head of GIS Department, you both lead and manage the GIS-team by planning and organising tasks and activities, communicate with each team member and contribute to their development. You are also a project manager with responsibilities to attract, initiate and lead externally funded research and innovation projects. The geographic scope of your field of interest includes a European and international perspective and expert knowledge in at least one of the Nordic countries. We appreciate abilities in external networking and in communication with stakeholders. Internally we appreciate analytical and creative skills, complemented by abilities to both cooperate and work on your own. For this position, you have at least 6 years of relevant work experience and an extensive network…

The Nordic Arctic Cooperation Programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers has opened up its call for new project applications for financial support in 2021. Deadline for sending in proposals is 1st February 2021 (12:00 CET). The aim of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Arctic Cooperation Programme 2018-2021 is to create sustainable and constructive development in the Arctic and for its people based on the four P’s: planet, peoples, prosperity and partnerships. The programme is administered by Nordregio, with one round of applications per programme years.

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. The ability to work, socialise, do business and use services across borders is an integral part of daily life in border communities all across the Nordic countries and Europe. Since the pandemic hit, border communities have faced extraordinary challenges as national borders were suddenly closed and various other restrictions were put in place. These obstacles were at the centre of attention at an online event “Strengthening cross-border communities: Lessons from Covid-19” organised by Nordregio together with the Bothnian Arc and Svinesund cross-border committees on the 12th November 2020. By Páll Tómas Finnsson, Communications consultant at Finnsson & Co Increased awareness of the value of cross-border cooperation “In times of crisis, it’s always possible to find opportunities,” said Martin Guillermo Ramírez, Secretary General of the Association of European Border Regions. He gave a European perspective on the challenges facing border regions, not only because of the pandemic but also in light of political developments such as Brexit and the increasing nationalism throughout Europe. In his talk, Ramírez emphasised that the current challenges should be regarded as an opportunity to further boost cross-border collaboration in the future. “Many of the nation states in Europe decided to close their borders to contain the pandemic, but in some cases, they were reopened less than 24 hours later because of the high level of interaction in the border areas,” he explained. According to Ramírez, the situation has brought the importance of integrated border communities higher up on both the national and European agendas. “This represents an important turn of events, considering that we started the year with the announcement that there would be a budget reduction for cross-border cooperation in…

A new article written by Nordregio researchers shines a light on the benefits and advantages of bioeconomy for regional development in the Nordic region, showing that many new jobs were created over the past years in rural areas When we speak about bioeconomy, we refer to a model of economy built on land- and marine-based natural resources including eco-system services and biowaste. In a newly published article, “Bioeconomy – a driver for regional development in the Nordic countries”, Nordregio researchers Karen Refsgaard, Michael Kull, Elin Slätmo and Mari Wøien Meijer analyzed employment statistics and empirical cases to show the ways in which the new bioeconomy contributes to more environmentally and socially sustainable economic growth. The article, “Bioeconomy – a driver for regional development in the Nordic countries”, was published on October 9th, 2020 and can be viewed as a first attempt at understanding and identifying the regional economic and social impacts of the new bioeconomy, such as the fact that it creates many jobs, from below 15% to above 22% of all jobs, especially in rural areas. However, developing a bio-based and circular economy signifies that a team effort must be made, education, research and bioresource-suppliers, NGO’s and in particular together with the public sector having to work together. Furthermore, institutions need to go through a range of innovations. To learn more about the impact of bioeconomy in the Nordic countries, read the full article.

We are happy to invite you to the 3rd online NordMap workshop on 24 September at 9 am, where you will get a change to be introduced to NordMap in a nutshell and get familiar with the tool in 30min. During the workshop we will show you how to: Find the statistics and infographics for regions Create maps and share them with others Find similar regions and municipalities Use time series to see change over time Play around with map colours or design map in favoured spectrum   Sign up here: https://www.lyyti.fi/reg/Online_Workshop_NordMap_2_1296 And visit Nordmap here: http://nordmap.org/        

NordMap is easy and free to use web-mapping tool – We are happy to show you online on 27 August at 9am, and it only takes about 30min! Are you studying or working with regional development and planning? Or perhaps just interested in regional and municipal differences when it comes to ageing, employment figures or the economy in the Nordic Region? All topics related to State of the Nordic Region are included in NordMap and data continuously updated. NordMap is easy to use and you don’t need any previous mapping experience. Sign up here: https://www.lyyti.in/Online_Workshop_NORDMAP_5794 And visit Nordmap: http://nordmap.org/          

In the latest issue of Nordregio Magazine, we invite you to join on a Baltic journey of developing tools for maritime space planning. Successful planning of maritime space requires accurate data, a diverse group of stakeholders and access to the best available knowledge. The BONUS BASMATI project has contributed to all three areas within a relatively new field of maritime spatial planning based on ecosystem services thinking. Assessing ecosystem services Neither ocean currents nor fish know any borders. Therefore a good maritime spatial planning needs close cooperation between neighbouring countries – says Henning Sten Hansen, BONUS BASMATI project coordinator. Planning new aquaculture farms or offshore wind sites require accurate data on ecosystem services. The project developed a modelling tool to test various planning scenarios in the Baltic Sea region.  Handbook for planners Maritime spatial planning involves a highly diverse group of stakeholders, from fishers and aquaculture, energy and shipping companies to ecologists and those who use the coast and ocean for leisure and recreation. Not to forget the people who live nearby the sea and all the countries that share access to the same sea basin. The BONUS BASMATI project has developed a handbook that helps to organise this complex process involving all relevant stakeholders. Harmonizing data with the Baltic Explorer Countries in the Baltic Sea region gather various data on the marine space. Combining these data could significantly improve cooperation for better maritime spatial planning. The BONUS BASMATI project has developed a tool called Baltic Explorer which helps to harmonize various marine data in real-time. Find out more about the project here: https://bonusbasmati.eu/

The final chords of the Baltic maritime symphony have been played in Gothenburg on 10-12 December. The Pan Baltic Scope project partners from 12 planning authorities and organizations presented their outcome of the activities, collaboration and the progress of the national maritime spatial plans. The 2014 European Union Directive on MSP emphasizes the need for coherent maritime spatial planning and aligned plans between independent states. To achieve this, the Pan Baltic Scope project brought together eight MSP planning authorities and three regional organisations in the Baltic Sea Region as part of the consortium. The project team was led by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwaM), the lead partner in the predecessor Baltic SCOPE project. Yet again, the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) has been a trailblazer in the promotion and development of pioneering collaborative MSP activities. Nordregio was in charge of two activities: Drawing out the major lessons learned from the project activities and providing recommendations on how to bring better maritime spatial plans in the Baltic Sea Region. The final report includes factsheets that summarize tasks, achievements, enablers and challenges of different activities of the project. Developing of the land-sea interaction concept and exploring the potential of its application in MSP practices in the Baltic Sea region. The final report showcases stories, insights and lessons from countries at different stages of the MSP process, and to present challenges and enablers for effective LSI in a range of cross-border contexts, particularly encompassing the Gulf of Bothnia, Riga Bay and Germany. Publications The reports Nordregio was in charge of as well as all other reports will be available in print and as electronic versions. Lessons Learned in Cross-border Maritime Spatial Planning Experiences Lessons, stories and ideas on how to integrate Land-Sea Interactions into MSP Project Recommendations Scoping report Reactions…

What is resilience and how to build resilient regions? The keynotes and regional representatives at the Nordregio Forum 2019 panel shared their recipes and skillsets on how to become resilient. Jonas Wendel, Chief of staff to the Secretary-General at the Nordic Council of Ministers, nicely summarises the concept: “Resilience is to welcome change. And for those who are capable of changing, opportunities will present themselves”. Nordregio’s Senior Research Fellow Jukka Teräs sees it as a way of recovering from disturbance: “Do you bend, or do you break?” Teräs also provided clear instructions on how to do it: Generate awareness of possible risks by identifying risks, spread the risk by diversifying the industrial base and invest in entrepreneurship and last but not least by building trust between citizens, regional institutions and other actors. Nordregio Forum panel opened the stage for great regional examples from all the Nordic countries which only proofs that the regions are already working on this actively, and they shared the same message: citizen engagement is the key for success. All partnerships are important, and as the youth representative Pétur Halldórsson, chair of the Icelandic Youth Environmentalist Association (Ungir umhverfissinnar), put it: “The best solutions are found when we work peer-to-peer with all cultures in the Nordic countries to actively learn from each other”.  The youth representatives also shared the same concern about the Nordics becoming too arrogant and thinking we know the best. “We should also stay humble and learn more from other (non-Nordic) countries”, says Ragnheiður Kristín Finnbogadóttir. Smart specialisation and resilience: Do they go hand in hand? Smart specialisation is a strategy tool made for regions to create resilience by finding strengths and focusing on those. “Smart specialisation is not the same everywhere. Actors can be the same, but the opportunities are different”, says Peter…

Iceland took over the Presidency of Nordic Council of Ministers for 2019. Youth arise to the center of the chairmanship. A recent report by Nordregio reveals, that young people feel they don’t get their voices heard. Also, the youth have adapted to a new multilocational lifestyle where they live, work and study in different locations. -All the Nordic countries are facing similar challenges when it comes to young people’s standard of living, says Aðalsteinn Thorsteinsson, the Icelandic member of the Nordregio board. Steady growth in tourism without harming the nature, or small communities The ruthless, and bare nature of the North offers beauty and silence to a steadily growing flow of tourists. Investments on infrastructure have made the growth possible. How can nature protection and growth go hand in hand? Director of Icelandic Regional Development Institute, Aðalsteinn Thorsteinsson: – Our most valuable and most sought-after asset is of course our fragile nature, culture and history. Especially in many of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland, we have reached the carrying capacity of nature. It is important that we share our experiences, mistakes and success stories, so that the Nordic countries can learn from each other. Nordregio and The Nordic Thematic Group for Sustainable Rural Development have started a research project “Rural tourism in the Nordic region” that focuses particularly on the sustainability aspect. Sustainable tourism takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities. The challenges of rural tourism include capacity constraints: is there money and workforce available, and how to manage seasonal variations? This study will be finalized by the end of 2019 with answers to these questions. Youth in the Arctic – How do they see their future? Young people are losing their…

The Natural Resource Council of Attu on the west coast of Greenland has been awarded the Nordic Council Environment Prize 2018 for its work on documenting the marine environment and proposing new ways of managing it. Project leaders Per Ole Frederiksen, Pâviârak Jakobsen och Nette Levermann received the prize from the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg, live on TV from the gala at the Opera House in Oslo. The theme for the Nordic Council Environment Prize 2018 was “protecting marine life and helping to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals”. The Attu activities are part of one of projects supported by the Nordic Arctic Programme that Nordregio manages on behalf of the Nordic Council of Ministers. See an overview of all the latest projects The jury said: Fishermen and hunters in Attu, West Greenland, have been providing input into the local Natural Resource Council for several years. This exemplary project documents their observations and wide-ranging knowledge of local nature and feeds it into research aimed at developing new ways of managing living resources. The Natural Resource Council in Attu, established in 2014, is one of five similar bodies active in Greenland. under the auspices of the public-sector PISUNA* programme set up in 2009. PISUNA uses accessible and innovative methods to involve local people in the documentation and management of the environment and living resources. Their observations demonstrate how democratic participation enhances knowledge of the marine environment, improves management and enhances the sense of responsibility for and ownership of nature and the environment. The councils also create a sense of social community that promotes dialogue and co-operation between ordinary people, science and those who manage resources. The initiative is scalable and has already inspired similar projects in Finland and Russia and looks set to spread to other countries and industries,…

The Arctic is changing both for better and for worse. A warmer climate causes major disruptions, but also leads to new opportunities. The new issue of Nordregio Magazine looks at some of the latest developments within demographics and social change in the Arctic. And it also dives into a new learning platform developed as an empowerment tool for remote, sparsely populated areas like many of the communities you find in the Arctic Region. The Horizon 2020 project Nunataryuk is exploring the issues of permafrost thaw and changing arctic coast lines. A main goal of Nunataryuk is to determine the impacts of thawing land, coast and subsea-permafrost on the global climate and on humans in the Arctic and to develop targeted and co-designed adaptation and mitigation strategies. Another EU funded project, REGINA, aims to empower small communities with resource-based economies to manage changes due to the introduction – or indeed the demise – of major industries in sparsely populated areas. REGINA stands for Regional Innovation in the Nordic Arctic & Scotland and the project has involved both local communities and research institutes who together have developed a new learning platform with tools for local planners and policymakers. Read more in the latest issue of Nordregio Magazine.

Large amounts of geo-data, easy access to geo-data via websites and applications, as well as the availability of online visualisation tools, all contribute to a larger production of maps in less time than before. However, it remains a delicate exercise to design suitable geo-data visualisation products, since several choices have to be done between the collection of the geo-data and the finalisation of a map. Furthermore, it is not only important to present the right facts on a map. It is also important to tell a story – a fact-based story using a suitable geo-data visualisation. On 16-18 October, the 11th European Forum for Geography and Statistics (EFGS) conference invites stakeholders, scientists, statisticians and others to discuss the integration of statistics and geospatial information in Helsinki. More insights on the joys and the challenges of producing maps of socio-economic indicators in the Nordic Region will be shared by Julien Grunfelder, Head of the GIS department at Nordregio. His key-note speech “The delicate exercise of geo-data visualisation” will be given on the second day of the conference. Together with Cartographer/GIS Analyst Shinan Wang, he will also present the web-mapping tool Nordmap, which allows you to create maps and time-lapses in the Nordic region. More at: http://efgs2018.fi/