Green Growth and Innovation in Nordic Regions: Case studies

This working paper is published as part of the project Regional Strategies for Green Growth and Innovation.

This working paper builds on the paper Scoping Green Growth and Innovation in Nordic Regions. One of the main conclusions of this study was that there is a distinct urban-rural dichotomy in the regional preconditions for green growth and innovation. Urban regions are noted for population growth, comparatively low unemployment and high GDP per capita. Because knowledge and innovation institutions, as well as economic production, are largely concentrated in these areas, they are also the recipients of the majority of R&D funding in the Nordic context. Many green production activities are located in rural areas whereas a vast majority of resource consumption takes place in urban settings. The urban-rural dimension as a territorial context frames the conditions of green growth and eco-innovation to some extent, and has been the point of departure in the selection of case studies. The case studies concern the region of Skåne in southern Sweden with a focus on the activities in cleantech, and the region of South Savo in Eastern Finland and its activities in bioenergy.