Publications

As regional challenges grow increasingly complex, successful collaboration becomes more vital. This report investigates the drivers, obstacles, and enablers of collaborative leadership, essential for addressing regional socio-economic challenges and fostering sustainable development in the Nordic region. This results of this report are grounded in the cooperative work of Nordic Thematic Group for Green, Innovative and Resilient Regions 2021-2024. Our research expands the concept of collaborative regional leadership, narrowing the focus on how regional institutions and stakeholders practically work together both currently and, in the future, to develop more effective policies, implement strategies, and drive forward ambitious projects. The study identifies factors that either enable or hinder collaboration and proposes a new model for fostering long-term, sustainable partnerships. Using data from a Nordic-wide survey and four in-depth case studies, the report zooms in on:   The research reveals that what often triggers collaboration – crisis, shared regional challenges, and policy shifts – there are critical common factors that frequently curb progress – limited resources, weak leadership, and fragmented policy frameworks. Successful collaborations rely on strong networks, clear leadership, and a culture of cooperation. Our findings emphasize the value of engaging diverse stakeholders and fostering trust to achieve sustainable outcomes. This report’s recommendations include creating long-term platforms for regional collaboration and investing in leadership development to strengthen multi-stakeholder initiatives. By synthesizing the experiences of Nordic regions, this report provides a practical framework for building resilient, collaborative ecosystems that support both regional development and the broader Nordic Vision 2030.

This publication is a culmination of the challenges, lessons learned, and good practices of cycling in the capital cities and regions of the Nordic countries. Derived from the research and discussions among network participants, this publication highlights eight common myths about the role of the bicycle as a mode of transport in the Nordic Region. Each myth is followed by an evidence-based rebuttal, confronting the inaccurate claims and uprooting the underlying problem. After each reality statement, we provide suggestions and good practices, based on both desk research and contributions from practitioners in the Nordic Cycle Power Network.

Den här rapporten är del av ett nordiskt projekt vars övergripande syfte har varit att undersöka hur regionalpolitik på bästa sätt kan bidra till att tillgodose civil beredskap och robusthet i nordiska landsbygder under perioder av kris. I det nya risklandskapet är ett robust samhälle, med kapacitet att stå emot och hantera både miljökatastrofer och mänskligt orsakade kriser, högst eftersträvansvärt. Regioner och kommuner kan bidra till robusthet och civil beredskap genom att upprätthålla samarbetsförmåga och utveckla innovativa lösningar för en hållbar omställning, tillika säkra tillgången till mat, råmaterial, energi och service för sina invånare, både i fredstid och i perioder av kris. Inom ramen för studien definieras civil beredskap genom följande aspekter: förebyggande och trygghetsskapande åtgärder i samhället, räddningstjänst och krisberedskap, matsäkerhet inklusive livsmedelsförsörjning, energiförsörjning, försörjning av råmaterial (främst mineraler och metaller), samt tillgång till (offentlig) service. This report is part of a Nordic project ‘Robust Regional Preparedness‘ analysing how regional policy can contribute to civil preparedness and robustness in Nordic rural areas during periods of crisis. In the current risk landscape characterised by both environmental disasters and man-made crises, regions and municipalities can also contribute to robustness and civil preparedness by maintaining cooperation and developing innovative solutions for a sustainable transition, while also securing access to food, raw materials, energy and services for their residents, both in peacetime and in periods of crisis. Read the policy brief (in Swedish) and see the additional resources (linked below) from the project for details.

Nordic rural areas are facing complex, interconnected challenges, from labour shortages and shrinking populations to green, digital, and remote work transitions. At the same time, these challenges offer an opportunity to recognise the diversity of Nordic rural areas and at even leverage and build on local specifities to pave the way towards the future. The Roadmap for Nordic Rural Development builds on and summarises the work of the Nordic Thematic Group on Green and Inclusive Rural Development (2021–2024). Drawing from discussions, workshops, and project results, the roadmap highlights the Nordic added value of recent initiatives, outlines overarching themes for rural development, and proposes future thematic areas and projects for exploration. Explore the interactive storymap to discover innovative policy solutions for mobile living and working, place-based approaches, strengthened administrative capacity, and genuine stakeholder involvement—all designed to foster sustainable and inclusive rural development. The roadmap outlines strategies and solutions for the future, as well as the key findings and recommendations from projects focused on rural development and points towards remaining challenges and questions to be addressed going forward.

This Policy Brief presents WANO (Waste Management in the High North) project activities in 2024 and summarizes the major results and findings. The WANO project group suggests recommendations for  further development of municipal waste management in north Norway. WANO (Waste Management in the High North) is a research project in 2021-2024 funded by the Norwegian Research Council (NFR) and includes the partners NORCE Norwegian Research Centre (the lead partner), Nordregio, Remiks Miljøpark AS, and Hålogaland Ressursselskap (HRS) IKS. The project generates new research-based knowledge on the conditions for innovation-driven, cross-border cooperation in the northernmost regions of Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

Could electric aviation contribute to mitigating the climate impact of aviation? If so, what open questions and challenges need to be addressed before electric aviation can become a reality in the Nordic Region? This policy brief outlines the main obstacles to implementing electric aviation in the Nordic region and introduces actionable solutions and a roadmap with steps towards making electric aviation reality in the coming years. In this policy brief, you will find: This policy brief has been produced as a part of the Electric aviation and the effects on the Nordic regions project that looks into the effects of electric aviation on Nordic regional development. The project is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The partners include Nordregio, Nordic Energy Research and the University of Akureyri.

This report provides insights into the regional economic effects of the green transition across the Nordic countries. Through a series of country- and sector-specific chapters by Nordic experts, the report explores the regional challenges and opportunities associated with advancing the green transition within key sectors and achieving ambitious climate goals in the Nordic Region. Key issues covered include analyses of the economic shifts in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, tourism, oil and gas, and green industries, examining how these changes affect labor markets, regional economies, and national strategies. Questions addressed include: This report is a source of inspiration for policymakers, regional planners, researchers, industry leaders, and anyone interested in understanding the socio-economic dimensions of the green transition in the Nordic Region. It offers practice-based perspectives into addressing the challenges of decarbonisation while fostering regional development and inclusivity.

Latest research and implications for planners and policymakers This report examines how remote work is reshaping urban and regional development in the Nordic Region, highlighting remote work’s influence on residential preferences, mobility, workforce distribution, and the attractiveness of rural areas. Six thematic areas are identified as having a spatial impact: transportation, urban-rural linkages, digital nomadism, co-working spaces, housing, urban cores, and polycentric cities. Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has changed how people live and work. Since 2021, Nordregio has studied the tools and policies used in Nordic countries to support remote work. This report aims to discuss the research results within Nordregio’s Remote work and multilocality post-pandemic project and the latest international literature exploring the spatial implications of remote work. In doing so, we understand how remote work can be integrated into urban and regional development, planning, and policymaking within the Nordic Region. We identified six thematic areas in which remote work practices are making a spatial influence on urban, rural, and regional development: (1) challenges and opportunities for transportation, (2) urban-rural linkages, (3) digital nomadism, co-working spaces, and third places, (4) attractive and affordable housing fit for work-live arrangements, (5) impacts on urban cores, and (6) polycentric cities and the 15-minute city ideal. The report provides a discussion of planning and policy implications, categorised under three areas: transportation, the built environment, and sustainability. The report highlights several recommendations, such as to safeguard public transport, support investments in measures to boost small-town and rural attractiveness, encourage development according to work-live (mixed-use) designs and 15-minute city principles, promote a diverse and affordable housing supply, enable access to digital infrastructure, plan for residents who also do not have the possibility to work remotely, and reconsider research frameworks and data collection based on the unique spatial patterns of remote work.

This report explores strategies to alleviate rural labour shortages across Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Åland. It includes an overview of trends driving rural labour shortages, country-specific national outlooks, and a thematic review that highlights commonalities and differences in rural workforce challenges across the Nordic region. The key questions tackled in the report include: Based on the analyses, the report introduces six strategies for addressing rural labour shortages in the Nordic region: These strategies emphasise the need for tailored, region-specific approaches to meet varying local labour market needs. The report is an outcome of the Nordic ‘Strategies to Address Nordic Rural Labour Shortage‘ project, which aims to fill knowledge gaps concerning strategies for addressing rural labour shortages, their regional variations, and the sectors particularly affected by such shortages. The project has been carried out in the framework of the Nordic Thematic Group on Green and Inclusive Rural Development (2021-2024).

Gender disparity in the Nordic healthcare sector has significant social, cultural, and economic implications in societies that prioritise equality. Despite their progressive stance, Nordic countries continue to grapple with the persistent overrepresentation of women in healthcare, reflecting a broader gender division. This policy brief is based on the “Share the Care” project findings on gender segregation in healthcare, particularly in nursing. It provides key recommendations to increase diversity in nursing education. They can be implemented at different administrative levels, starting with the faculty level at the university and then moving on to the regional and national levels.

Gender disparity in the Nordic healthcare sector has significant social, cultural, and economic implications in societies that prioritise equality. Despite their progressive stance, Nordic countries continue to grapple with the persistent overrepresentation of women in healthcare, reflecting a broader gender division. This report provides findings from the “Share the Care” project on gender segregation in healthcare, particularly in nursing. This gender segregation is a persistent issue that affects the composition and dynamics of the healthcare workforce. Despite efforts to promote gender equality, nursing remains largely female-overrepresented, with men facing barriers to entry and career progression. Recruitment strategies and measures to address this imbalance are crucial to fostering a more gender-diverse workforce in the healthcare sector. This report begins with a background literature review focused on gender segregation in healthcare. Following the overview of the current literature, the report continues with a section devoted to the Nordic perspective on gender in nursing. The results present the project outcomes and recruitment strategies. It focuses on the implementation of the project, detailing recruitment efforts and other measures taken to address gender norms. The report concludes with reflections on limitations, biases and recommendations for the future.   This research will help policy-makers, health sector workers, and educators in their endeavors to achieve more equal and gender-balanced societies in the Nordic countries.

What are the regional environmental impacts of the next generation electric aircraft in the Nordic Region? Transport – and more specifically, aviation – is a key to fostering connectivity and accessibility, as well as promoting integration across the Nordic Region. But with what kind of environmental impact? Could electric aviation be a solution towards more sustainable transport? This storymap takes stock of the environmental impacts of aviation and explores how electric aviation could contribute to making flying more sustainable. Electric aviation is an emerging sector in the Nordic countries, showing great potential as a key element in connecting the region’s diverse and remote areas. The development of electric planes marks a significant step toward more sustainable aviation. Besides connectivity, electric aviation can offer social benefits, such as improved access to healthcare and education, while increasing the region’s appeal to young people and potential migrants. It can also spark opportunities for technological innovation and high-tech advanced in local industries. However, challenges still remain, as both the production and charging phases still carry an environmental impact. As technology advances, more analysis is needed to better grasp the long-term implications of electric aviation. This storymap has been produced as a part of the Electric aviation and the effects on the Nordic regions project that looks into the effects of electric aviation on Nordic regional development. The project is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The partners include Nordregio, Nordic Energy Research and the University of Akureyri.

This policy brief explores the current status, key characteristics, and distribution of peripheral higher education institutions located in smaller towns and rural regions across the Nordic countries. It aims to increase knowledge about the types of students who are attracted to these institutions and the factors influencing their choices. The analysis in this policy brief draws on statistical data, a literature review, results from focus group discussions, and a survey conducted among young adults in the Nordic countries.    The policy brief from the EDYNORA project highlights the vital role of Peripheral higher education institutions (PHEIs) in local and regional development, highlighting their influence as shapers of places and culture. PHEIs complement major university towns and capital regions by enabling rural youth to access education close to home or with minimal travel, ensuring they are not left behind in accessing quality education and opportunities. The findings emphasize that strategic planning for PHEIs must account for the distinct demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the Nordic regions where they operate.

The green transition involves different economic, social and territorial impacts that have been explored in the four year research project “Not Just a Green Transition – Examining the path towards a socially just green transition in the Nordic Region” (short name: NJUST). The result is the Nordic Toolbox for a Just Green Transition, which contributes to a transition towards a climate neutral Nordic Region that is socially just.   The comprehensive and interactive toolbox offers guidance for Nordic policymakers to navigate challenges, listen to those affected, and get inspired. The toolbox highlights six priority areas for enabling a just green transition, and offers policy memos from four socially at-risk groups: older adults, youth, people with disabilities and those at risk of unemployment. Through practical tools and examples, a structured checklist, policymakers can gain insights into how to take action for a transition that is not only green – but equitable too.  We want your feedback! Answer this short survey with your thoughts and feedback on the Toolbox.

This working paper analyses the territorial differences in household wealth across the Nordic Region. It examines the distribution and development of income inequality across the Nordics between 2005 and 2022, focusing especially on disparities at the municipal level and offers insights into the complex dynamics of income inequality in the Nordic Region. This working paper presents empirical evidence on the development of income inequalities in the Nordic countries and self-governing territories during the first decades of the 21st century (2005-2022). The analysis focuses on the social and territorial expressions of socio-economic inequalities, considering income differentials within and between territorial units. The exploration builds on data collected at themunicipal level in Åland, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Norway and Sweden, at the regional level in the Faroe Islands and for Statistical Output Areas in Iceland. The analysis pays particular attention to the development of household income in rural and urban areas since the pre-2007 financial crisis. The discussion also sheds light on the relationship between average income levels and living standards in the various municipalities, as well as their respective levels of income inequality, exploring whether those two dimensions reinforce each other, meaning that greater levels of affluence lead to greater levels of inequality. The contribution of income inequalities within and between municipalities to inequality at societal level is also addressed. The paper is a part of the project “Ensuring inclusive economic growth in the transition to a green economy (EnIGG)”. The project analyses how the Nordic countries can accelerate the green transition towards a climate-neutral economy. The paper is part of a working package that looks into the distributive effects of climate policies and analyses how gaps between richer and poorer population groups and regions have developed since the last economic crisis.

The Nordic countries are considered to be global front-runners in creating sustainable societies. Although we get a lot of things right, big tasks lie ahead if we are to reach our vision to be the most integrated and sustainable region in the world by 2030. The Sustainable Living programme, running from 2021 through 2024, is a response to this challenge and a call to action. It has explored what a sustainable Nordic lifestyle entails and formulated concrete guidelines and tools for policy and business development. It has demonstrated public impact through the spread of information and inspiration, the development of new business areas that can be ecolabelled and the demonstration of necessary behavioural and cultural changes. In this Sustainable Living Hub, you can access all our projects’ resources in one place. From survey results and research reviews to practical guidelines, teaching materials, webinars, and policy recommendations.

What does it take to build a robust society that can withstand crises? Draw inspiration from a selection of good practice examples on civil preparedness and crisis response in the Nordics. Take a tour across the Nordic Region and learn more about inspiring initiatives in different parts of the Nordics to enhance civil preparedness, resilience and crisis response capacities at the local level. The examples cover measures ranging from dealing with extreme weather, to addressing food security, energy provision, raw materials, as well as access to public services and essential infrastructure.  The storymap showcases a selection of 24 examples of civil preparedness and crisis response in the Nordics. The examples illustrate the broad scope of regional civil preparedness initiatives in the Nordic Region and highlight the diversity of contributions from public authorities at the level of the state, regions and municipalities, as well as private businesses and civil society organisations. They also emphasise the key role of cooperation between individuals, colleagues, sectors in a municipality, between municipalities, between sectors in the region, between regions, within the state, as well as between states. This storymap has been produced as a part of the Robust Regional Preparedness project that explores how regional policies in the Nordic countries can enhance civil preparedness and resilience during crises.

Civil society actors play a crucial part in bridging the digital divide. Their work on the multifaceted needs of at-risk groups should not be overlooked. How are NGOs across the Nordic-Baltic Region working to include their target groups? What hurdles do they face and how can we all – from policymakers to society at large – bolster their efforts going forward?  To promote equal access to digitalised society, this publication explores the unique challenges and triumphs of NGOs aiding diverse groups. As part of Nordregio’s research project titled “Digital Inclusion in Action”, this Storymap highlights the important role of civil society actors in combating digital exclusion in the Nordic and Baltic region. The results showed that civil society actors in the Nordic and Baltic countries use a diverse range of approaches and tools to address needs and challenges – ranging from skills development, technological development, and lobbying. The data collection for this publication involved mapping of stakeholders, as well as a survey, conducted in spring 2023, targeting 314 civil society actors across the Nordic and Baltic region. Of the 74 responses received, 93% indicated their user group was at risk of digital exclusion, and 83% were actively providing assistance to those at risk. Following the survey, 25 interviews were conducted between October 2023 and February 2024 with representatives from Nordic and Baltic NGOs. Seventeen of the interviewed NGOs are presented in the final Storymap.

This report analyses experiences of young people in Nordic nonprofit organisations from a gender and climate perspective. It identifies clear patterns and obstacles and considers key approaches to enabling more inclusive youth movements.  Studies have shown that young people tend to worry about climate change to a greater degree than adults and are often more committed to sustainable development. Young people are vital agents for a just green transition, but participation varies across social identities and backgrounds. However, there seem to be differences in involvement between girls and boys that roughly reflect the patterns between women and men. Men and boys tend to be less interested in both sustainability and gender equality. How can nonprofit organisations strengthen the conscious and committed, while also bringing underrepresented voices to the table?

Measuring sustainable tourism doesn’t just mean looking at the natural environment. Travel destinations have to be livable and functional for the permanent residents who help make them so attractive in the first place. This report examines the integration of social sustainability within the national tourism policies of the Nordic countries, focusing on how these policies address the social dimensions of sustainable tourism. As tourism continues to grow in the Nordic region, the economic benefits of tourism have to be balanced with the environmental and social impacts, to ensure the well-being of local communities and the preservation of cultural heritage. Tourism plays a crucial role in the development of the Nordic region, offering significant opportunities for growth and job creation. However, the rapid expansion of the tourism industry has also brought challenges such as overtourism, environmental degradation, and social disruptions. The project this report belongs to, aims to explore how the Nordic countries are addressing these challenges by integrating social sustainability into their tourism policies. The concept of socially sustainable tourism encompasses various aspects, including community engagement, cultural preservation, social equity, and the well-being of local populations. By examining the national tourism policies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Åland, this report seeks to identify common themes and specific strategies employed by these countries to promote socially sustainable tourism. The analysis is based on a comprehensive literature review, policy review, and case studies, providing a holistic understanding of the current state of social sustainability in Nordic tourism. The findings highlight the importance of community involvement in tourism planning and development, the need for equitable distribution of tourism benefits, and the role of cultural preservation in maintaining the unique identity of the Nordic region. This report serves as a foundational document for further research on the more…