Contents

Preface

In recent years, there has been a convergence of several global megatrends which are having a major impact on all aspects of the Nordic economy, society and environment.  Climate change, migration, rapid demographic developments, digitalization and automation, increasing urban-rural divides, and growing socio-economic inequalities are some of the main threats facing the Nordic Region. Nordregio is focused on identifying practical Nordic policy solutions to help overcome these challenges and promote socio-economic growth and environmental sustainability across the Nordic Region.

The Nordregio Strategy 2021-2024 has been written as a collaborative effort by our staff members in close cooperation with Nordregio’s Board of Directors, which represents the Nordic countries, Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The strategy outlines our main mission and core research focus areas, which have been carefully aligned to address the key objectives and needs of policymakers and practitioners outlined within Nordic cooperation steering documents.

The overarching goals that guide Nordregio’s research are outlined in the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Action Plan for Vision 2030, which is approved by the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation. The Action Plan defines the work to achieve the objectives of the Vision through a series of initiatives linked to the Vision’s three strategic priorities: a green Nordic Region, a competitive Nordic Region, and a socially sustainable Nordic Region.

During the 2021-2024 period, Nordregio is committed to delivering high quality scientific, evidence-based research designed to provide policymakers and practitioners with sustainable policies to help overcome the main challenges faced by Nordic regions and municipalities. Our research will contribute substantially towards Nordic cooperation and synergies, while also showcasing Nordic policies, experience and competences internationally.

The Board approved the Nordregio Strategy on the 15^th of April 2021.

Bjørn Kristen Barvik, Deputy Director-General
Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation of Norway

Dr. Rolf Elmér
Director, Nordregio

Introducing Nordregio

Nordregio is recognised and respected as a leading Nordic research institute within the broad research fields of regional development, policy and planning. We specialize in applied research that analyzes and evaluates the latest development trends in policy areas central to Nordic regional economic growth, competitiveness and sustainable development. Nordregio contributes towards meeting existing and future challenges facing the Nordic countries, Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland, by facilitating cooperation, knowledge sharing and learning between national, regional and local stakeholders in the search for sustainable Nordic policy solutions.  

Nordic cooperation

Nordic cooperation is based on the idea that the Nordic countries are stronger and can achieve more by working together. Cooperation creates Nordic synergies and added value, generating social capital, innovative thinking and learning in the search for shared solutions to global and regional challenges. Now, more than ever, Nordic collaboration is needed to help overcome the socio-economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Working together is also essential for meeting the challenges posed by global megatrends, including climate change, digitalization and automation, rapid demographic developments, increasing urban-rural divides, and growing socio-economic inequalities. Nordic cooperation transcends national borders and political barriers; collaboration is based on open knowledge sharing and the pooling of resources, which strengthens Nordic countries both internally and on the global stage.

Figure 1. Nordic cooperation.

Nordregio's mission

Nordregio's mission is to provide Nordic policymakers and practitioners with new knowledge and tools to support the formulation and implementation of effective socio-economic and environmentally sustainable regional development policies.

By facilitating cooperation between Nordic stakeholders, we generate Nordic synergies which create added value and contribute towards meeting the Nordic Vision 2030 and the implementation of the Nordic Regional Cooperation Programme 2021-2024. These include the integration of horizontal perspectives on sustainable development, gender equality, and a youth perspective. Our research also contributes towards the implementation of global policy objectives, including those outlined in the United Nation's Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the European Union's Macro-Regional Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, Green Deal, Urban Agenda, Digital Agenda, and Circular Economy and Bio-Economy Initiatives.

To fulfil our mission and generate Nordic synergies, the following objectives and principles guide our everyday operations:

• Producing high-quality, scientific, evidence-based research that can be understood and used by policymakers and practitioners to provide sustainable policies for regions and municipalities across the Nordic Region.
• Developing Nordic statistical databases and being a hub for Nordic cross-border and comparative demographic, economic, social, and environmental statistics at national, regional and local levels – with the State of the Nordic Region report as the bi-annual flagship publication.
• Critically compare past and present Nordic data at different geographic scales to find innovative solutions for implementing SDGs and predicting future socio-economic and demographic trends.
• Identifying best practice Nordic collaborative governance and territorial place-based policymaking processes built on local knowledge and expertise.
• Supporting policymakers by engaging stakeholders and citizens in policymaking processes and research projects to facilitate science-society-policy interfaces, based on Nordic knowledge co-creation, exchange and uptake between researchers, policymakers, stakeholders and citizens.
• Generating and promoting synergies between different policy sectors.
• Widely communicating Nordic solutions and comparative research findings across ministries, regions and municipalities to facilitate the implementation of new policies and increase stakeholder and citizen awareness.
• Being a trusted international research project partner.
• Showcasing Nordic policy solutions and competitiveness in Europe and beyond.
• Creating an institutional environment of equality and openness designed to facilitate deliberation and analytical thinking amongst staff and research based on integrity, self-reflexivity, cooperation, and daring to challenge conventional thinking.
• Ensuring that employment at Nordregio is a valuable stepping stone for attractive future working positions.

Figure 2. Our vision 2030.

Nordregio core research areas

As a strategic research institute, we align our research competencies to meet the needs of our main stakeholders, including the Nordic Council of Ministers and the national and regional authorities responsible for regional development in the Nordic countries, Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. Our main research areas are closely connected to the prioritized themes of the Nordic Cooperation Programme for Regional Policy and Planning and the Nordic Vision 2030. The goal of the Nordic Cooperation Programme for Regional Policy and Planning is to promote learning and knowledge building for national, regional, and local policymakers and practitioners within the fields of regional development and physical planning. The Cooperation Programme contributes towards implementing the three strategic priorities for a green, competitive and socially sustainable Nordic Region outlined in the Nordic Vision 2030. For the period 2021-2024, these priority cooperation areas are mirrored within three thematic groups (TGs) composed of senior officials from relevant ministries in the five Nordic countries, in the Faroe Islands, Greenland and the Åland, from regional authorities, cross-border committees, and the North Atlantic Cooperation (NORA): 

Nordregio's multi-disciplinary research toolbox

Nordregio adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to research within these core fields. Our research team has a broad competence base in a range of sub-disciplines within the social sciences, including urban planning, human geography, political science, spatial planning, institutional economics, natural resource and environmental economics, business economics, sociology, anthropology and GIS/cartography. Our wide range of competences and the interdisciplinary nature of our research team help us to meet the needs of our diverse client base. We are also able to approach research tasks from different perspectives, helping to foster a working environment built on deliberation and mutual learning. Nordregio has a broad research toolbox specializing in the following research approaches and methods:  

Applied research: We conduct solution-oriented and applied research that addresses global and Nordic issues from both a research perspective and the viewpoint of policymakers and practitioners. Nordregio works on commissioned projects that help policymakers and practitioners at the national, regional and local levels to tackle economic, social, planning and governance challenges. We are an active participant and reliable partner in European, Nordic and national research programme projects, including Horizon Europe, ESPON, Interreg, NordForsk, Formas, Vinnova and The Research Council of Norway. Our research focuses on identifying Nordic best policy practices and providing policy solutions and recommendations for policymakers and practitioners, disseminated through practical and easily understandable reports, illustrative maps, policy briefs and workshops/webinars.  

Quantitative analyses, GIS and cartography: Over a long period of time, cartographic visualization of demographic and socio-economic patterns and trends has been a widely applied tool in Nordregio’s knowledge production and communication and is still relevant today for guiding policy and decision-making processes. Our main quantitative research methods include statistical analysis, register-based data series, surveys, questionnaires and GIS. Our quantitative analyses are mostly based on harmonized municipal and regional statistics, collected from official data sources. Nordregio has the competencies to apply this data, not only in comparative studies, but also using statistical methods, such as spatial econometrics and cluster analysis. These methods can help identify significant relationships across time and between countries, regions and municipalities. Nordregio has a long experience working with such data sources provided by national statistical institutes and Eurostat for building established indicators, composite indices and typologies contributing towards a better understanding of regional development trends in the Nordic Region and beyond. Nordregio also has a long experience in visualizing societal patterns and trends on different types of thematic maps, and we continuously update our mapping solutions. Recent technological developments enabled us to diversify our visualization formats, which has resulted in the online mapping, tool NordMap, our newly released Nordic Service Mapper and the production of Story Maps. Alongside cartography and visualization tools, Nordregio is actively enlarging its modelling capabilities towards emerging data formats and advanced quantitative analysis methods. In the era of big data and artificial intelligence, geographical analysis shall adopt new perspectives and methods when dealing with traditional themes in territorial comparative research. This process is enabled by the increasing amount of georeferenced data from mobile devices, remote sensing, social media and other sources. New data managing procedures and algorithms adapted from other sciences are increasingly applied for the analysis and prediction of spatial dynamics. These emerging methods shall complement mature methods in regional economics, and it is this combination of methods that shall allow Nordregio to advance in the quantitative interpretation of socio-economic and environmental phenomena with a marked territorial expression. This development in turn will increase our capacity to provide better guidance for ‘place-based’ policymaking in the Nordics.

Qualitative analysis: Our qualitative research methods include desk-based analysis of primary policy documentation, academic literature reviews, semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, and qualitative stakeholder surveys/questionnaires.  We also conduct ethnographic studies, such as participant observation. Nordregio's comparative research focus means that many of the research projects undertaken at the institute are built on the extensive use of case studies. These case studies can be prospective or retrospective and examine a variety of geographic scales. The use of individual and comparative case studies allows for a more in-depth analysis of an event or policy and governance process. Where purely quantitative data falls short, the case study approach offers a complementary qualitative perspective through which the perceptions and views of stakeholders themselves can be examined in more detail. Our case studies focus on understanding the role of organisations, policies, actor groups and individuals. They explore the narratives and storytelling of individuals from different actor groups, sharing their experience and perceptions of policies or socio-economic developments, as a means of gaining additional ‘micro-level’ perspectives. They also serve to highlight obstacles, enablers, policy options and possible future directions. Stories from individuals are used in story maps – a welcome addition to Nordregio’s communication portfolio.

Facilitating stakeholder and citizen engagement: Nordregio researchers and communications team provide different types of fora where Nordic public authorities and practitioners can collaborate and work together to share knowledge and seek solutions to common problems. We encourage open and transparent cooperation between Nordic policymakers and stakeholders. Nordregio has vast experience in supporting and implementing stakeholder engagement, offering guidelines to policymakers on how to set-up and implement interactive Multi-Actor-Platforms (MAPs) and participatory planning processes. We are also striving to proactively involve citizens in research and policymaking, as establishing strong science-society-policy interfaces is important for improving the quality of policies, establishing trust and social capital, enhancing legitimacy, and providing tailored solutions to territorial issues that directly affect citizens lives. Nordregio is, therefore, focused on examining the potential of digitals tools for increasing citizen engagement, particularly underrepresented and minority groups.

Evaluations: Nordregio has extensive experience conducting evaluations of European, national, regional and local programmes and projects. Every evaluation assignment is unique, so we strive to apply research methods well adapted to each type of evaluation based on sound scientific research evidence. For this purpose, Nordregio's own carefully crafted in-house evaluation model can be adapted and tailored to deliver high quality ex-ante, interim and ex-post evaluations for policymakers and practitioners. We specialize in conducting ex-ante territorial evaluations, based on focused SWOT analyses, that can be used directly to inform the development of regional policies and smart specialisation strategies.  

Future studies: Nordregio uses different methods and techniques for foreseeing or capturing future outcomes to provide policymakers and practitioners with reliable information on possible future development trends on which decisions can be based. Forecasting is a quantitative approach primarily applied to predict future outcomes based on an analysis of past and present trends. Scenario building is used to describe alternative images of the future by developing descriptive narratives. Finally, Nordregio adopts foresight analysis as a qualitative method for identifying local socio-economic strategies based on a structured dialogue with relevant actors.

Geographic foci

Operating at the international, national, regional and local levels, Nordregio's research covers a wide geographic and multi-locality scope, with an emphasis on the Nordic and Baltic Sea Regions, Europe and the Arctic. In the 2021-2024 period our research will focus on the following governance levels:

Nordic Region: Nordregio's primary geographic focus is the Nordic Region. The Nordic Regional Cooperation Programme outlines that Nordregio's core responsibility is to work with Nordic national and regional/local policymakers, stakeholders and cross-border committees to enhance knowledge on Nordic regional development trends. These regional trends are highlighted in Nordregio's bi-annual flagship publication 'The State of the Nordic Region'.

Baltic Sea Region: Nordic countries are active members of the EU Macro-regional Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). Nordregio helps facilitate cross-border interactions between Baltic Sea Regions through their participation in EUSBSR flagship projects and EU Interreg cross-border programmes.  

Pan-European: The proactive engagement of Nordic countries in EU research funding is important, not only for regional socio-economic growth, but also for maintaining the Nordic Region's status as one of Europe's leading innovative regions. Nordregio's participation in EU projects plays an important function in providing a platform for international learning and benchmarking and the dissemination of good practice examples of Nordic innovation and collaboration to European and international audiences.

Arctic: The Nordic Region is the most northernly located geographical area within both global and European contexts and, as such, brings a unique perspective regarding Arctic issues. Six of the nine regions which are commonly defined as the Arctic are within the Nordic Region. Nordregio works with public authorities and stakeholders in the Arctic to research and find policy solutions on issues, such as adaptation to climate change and permafrost degradation, inclusive governance practices on natural resource management for indigenous people, as well as socio-economic development.

Map: Nordregio’s geographic foci.
Author: Johanna Jokinen, Nordregio.

Nordregio’s governance structure

Nordregio is an institute under the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) founded in 1997. Our obligations towards the NCM are delineated in a Strategic Mandate which is included in the Nordic Cooperation Programme for Regional Policy and Planning 2020-2024 and an Annual Grant Letter. NCM's steering model includes two annual meetings between the NCM's secretariat and Nordregio.
 
The Nordregio Board of Directors is responsible for content-related strategic planning based on the main goals of the institution outlined by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Board of Directors is policymaking and advisory body that focuses on addressing issues of major importance concerning the institute's main objectives and future direction. The Board meets normally four times per year and represents stakeholders in each Nordic country, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.

The Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Regional Policy (EK-R) is Nordregio's main stakeholder and client and is responsible for the implementation of the Nordic Cooperation Programme for Regional Policy and Planning and developing its thematic working groups. Nordregio's Director participates in the committee's meetings approximately four times per year.

The Nordic Council of Ministers for Business, Energy and Regional Policy (MR-NER) approves the Nordic Cooperation Programme and the budget for the regional sector, including Nordregio's basic funding. The Council normally meets once a year and is responsible for appointing members to Nordregio's Board.

Nordregio focused thematic sub-research areas 2021-2024

Nordregio's five core overarching research areas cut across a range of different policy relevant thematic and sectoral fields. This section of the strategy outlines Nordregio's main focused thematic sub-research areas for the 2021-2024 period, highlighting:

1. Why each area is important for Nordic research and development;

2. Nordregio's existing expertise in the area;

3. Our future research priorities in the field.  

Figure 3. Nordregio core research areas.

Related projects:

• Regional Cooperation Program 2013-2016 on “Green Growth - innovation and entrepreneurship” (2013-2016)
• Support to the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans in Sweden (2020-2021)
• Green transition in the Arctic (2019-2021)
• Not “just” a green transition – Examining the path towards a socially just green transition in the Nordic region (2021-2024)
• Ensuring inclusive economic growth in the transition to the green economy (2021-2024)

Future research direction: Nordregio aims to support subnational governance actors, notably regions and municipalities, in the process of transitioning towards carbon free economies in a socially fair and inclusive way. We will contribute to the development of just green transitions by producing policy-relevant knowledge at different territorial levels on key aspects of the transition, including:

• Providing territorial evidence on the impacts of green transitions, identifying which Nordic regions are mostly affected by the transitions, how different social groups are affected, and which type of support they require to facilitate socially fair transformations.
• Assessing what contributes to a well-functioning green transition labour market, including the need for relevant education among the youth population and reskilling older and existing employees.
• Examining multi-level territorial processes for governing green transitions, focusing on existing regional economic structures and past economic trajectories, but also governance and institutional structures, resources, capabilities and competences, business cultures and supportive measures.
• Informing dynamic planning for green transitions through the identification of new planning tools to support regions and cities in their effort to re-organise for transitions.
• Developing a system’s perspective for just green transitions by establishing functional dependencies and linkages between territories and sectors to avoid hidden impacts and burden shifting.
• Formulating better data and data gathering methods for monitoring and assessing climate justice, allowing for a quantification of territorial impacts and opportunities stemming from climate transitions at sub-national territorial scales.

• TRIBORN - Triple Bottom Line Outcomes for Bioenergy Development and Innovation in Rural Norway (2013-2016)
• BSR Stars S3 (2016-2019)
• State of the Nordic Region 2018
• State of the Nordic Region 2020
• BioWiseTrans (Advancing the bioeconomy transition in the Nordic Region) (2017-2020)
• BeUBio – showcasing young entrepreneurs in the Baltic Sea region on the SDGs and the Bioeconomy (2019-2020)
• Bioeconomy network projects with the Baltic countries and Northwest Russia (2015-2021)
• Upcoming: Bioeconomy as a driver for Rural Development (2021-2024)

Future research direction: Over the coming years, Nordregio’s research relating to the bio and circular economy initiatives in the Nordic region will aim at:

• Mapping Nordic bio and circular economy policy developments;
• Identifying obstacles and enablers for the implementation of bio and circular economy strategies;
• Monitoring the impact of Nordic bio and circular economy activities on regional socio-economic growth;
• Enhancing stakeholder cooperation and cross-sectoral synergies by identifying best practices of Nordic regional and cross-border bio and circular economy innovation ecosystems and industrial symbiosis networks;
• Supporting regional and local authorities to develop effective bio and circular economy strategies;
• Examining effective circular economy business models;
• Exploring and sharing knowledge on competence development;
• Increasing stakeholder (industry and businesses) and citizen knowledge and awareness of bio and circular economy initiatives. 

Regional resilience

Thematic background: The notion of regional resilience is useful for analysing the preparedness and vulnerability of systems and institutions (e.g. regions, communities) to change in response to global shocks and disturbances (e.g. economic, technological, and health crises). Resilience has become increasingly relevant in a global context due to growing political and economic uncertainty and rapid technological and environmental changes. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of our welfare systems, value-chains, and global governance structures (including the Nordic Co-operation).

Expertise: Nordregio has conducted several studies and activities addressing regional resilience in multiple regions within the Nordic countries, as well as in cross-border regions. Nordregio applies resilience as an analytical framework and tool to examine how robust and adaptable regional economies and societies are to shocks. Nordregio projects have applied Resilience Systems Analysis (RSA) as a methodology to investigate resilience in case study regions. RSA builds on risk analysis, but instead of focusing on risks alone, or single events, it considers a wide complexity of factors, events and actors that compose a system (e.g. a region) and their interlinkages over time.

Related projects:

• Regional Economic and Social Resilience: An Exploratory In-Depth Study in the Nordic Countries (2017-2019)
• Social and Economic Resilience in the Bothnian Arc Cross-Border Region (2018-2019)
• Regional Implications of Remote work: Winners, Losers, and Planning in an Uncertain Context (2021-2024)
• Ensuring inclusive economic growth in the transition to a green economy (2021-2024)

Future research direction: Nordregio will continue addressing regional resilience in multiple regions in the Nordic countries and cross-sectorally, especially in projects focusing on climate adaptation and the circular economy. In doing so, vulnerability analysis can be developed as a diagnostic tool to support policymaking and planning. Key considerations for future work in this field at Nordregio are:

• Monitoring trends (mega or local) central to designing policies and instruments that facilitate structural transformation (build resilient regions).
• Assessing the preparedness and vulnerability of existing political systems and institutional structures to meet the challenges presented by a globalised but increasingly polarised world.
• Exploring processes of adaptation to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic and address long-term challenges, such as climate change, digitalisation and demographic trends.
• Developing adaptation pathways (i.e., roadmaps) to build resilient regions and communities (societies, economies).

Related projects:

• ESPON DIGIPLAN (2020-2021)
• Health care and care with distance spanning technologies (2018-2020)
• Rural perspectives on digital innovations: Experiences from small enterprises in the Nordic countries and Latvia (2019-2020)
• Governing the digital transition in Nordic regions: The human element (2017-2018)
• Nordic-Baltic 5G monitoring tool (2021-2022)
• Is the coast clear? The role of digitalisation for enabling blue growth in the cross-border region of Svinesund (2018)
• State of the Nordic Region 2020, Health, Wellbeing and Digitalisation Edition (2019-2020)

Future research direction: Looking to the future, Nordregio will focus on the following digitalisation goals:

• Sharing and building on the countries' different digital strengths to support the development of an integrated, greener and more competitive Nordic Region;
• Promoting the pursuit of Nordic values such as universal access, equality and inclusion, to ensure an inclusive and socially sustainable approach to the digital transition;
• Understanding the spatial implications of digital developments in the labour market (e.g., automation; distance working and multilocality);
• Exploring the use of digital tools in the planning process (e.g., engaging stakeholders and citizens in policymaking processes).

Related projects:

• Enabling vulnerable youth in rural areas: Not in education, employment or training (2019)
• State of the Nordic Region (2020)
• Skills policies for innovative and resilient regions (2019-2020)
• Integrating immigrants into the Nordic labour market – The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic (2020-2021)
• Share the Care: Attracting men to nursing education to counteract a gender-segregated labour market (2021-2024)

Future research direction: Digitalisation and the green transition are expected to have a large influence on the Nordic labour markets and the aim is to produce knowledge that can inform policymakers and planners. Remote working is expected to have implications for how work is organised and for spatial patterns of workplaces, housing and welfare services. The green transition will require not only innovative capacity but also new skills. In the coming period, Nordregio’s research in this area will focus on:

• Collecting data and analysis of labour markets in the Nordic countries and regions.
• In-depth studies of up-skilling and re-skilling in light of digitalisation and the green transition.
• Exploring skills eco-systems and how the Nordic labour market can be further integrated.
• Studies of remote working and spatially independent workplaces.

Related projects:

• Baltic SCOPE (2015-2017)
• Pan Baltic Scope (2017-2019)
• BONUS BASMATI (2016-2020)
• Evaluation of Marint Gränsforum Skagerrak (2019-2022)
• Evaluation of the Swedish Maritime Spatial Planning Process (2020-2021)
• eMSP NBSR: Emerging ecosystem-based Maritime Spatial Planning topics in North and Baltic Sea Regions (2021-2024)

• Exploring sustainable and circular blue bio-economy opportunities and how these benefit different rural and coastal areas across the Nordic and Baltic Sea Region.
• Examining the just green and blue transition – in the nexus of sustainable blue growth, environmental justice and equity.
• Performing economic analyses of sectoral impacts, value chains and sectoral synergies 
• Supporting multi-actor collaboration and stakeholder involvement in policymaking and planning.
• Enhancing knowledge on and informing marine and coastal governance processes and policymaking enabling sustainability and resilience (e.g. in Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Management) – at local to transboundary levels. 

Related projects:

• HIGHER – Better Policy Instruments for High Innovation Projects in European Regions
• BSR Stars S3 – Smart specialisation in bio-, circular and digital economy in the Baltic Sea Region
• The status, characteristics, and potentials of smart specialisation in Nordic Regions
• Systems change and green innovation in Nordic Regions
• Kompetensförsörjningsbehov inom områdena för Värmlands forsknings – och innovationsstrategi för smart specialisering 
• RELOCAL (Resituating the local in cohesion and territorial development)
• The Geography of Higher Education – Evaluation of the Academy of Smart Specialisation
• SiEUGreen (Sino-European innovative green and smart cities)

Future research direction:  Nordregio will continue to work directly key stakeholders, to assist in the development of effective regional innovation strategies that can help sustain the Nordic Region’s position as a European innovation leader. To contribute to Nordic learning across regions and Nordic added value, Nordregio will: 

• Contribute to understanding the skills and competences needed for innovative and resilient regions.
• Investigate institutional and systemic changes impacting on innovation systems in Nordic regions.
• Work to facilitate national, regional and cross-border innovation ecosystems.
• Facilitate cross-sectoral innovation collaborations.
• Promote and research innovation as key to enabling the regional green transition.
• Examine the role of innovation and digitalisation proccesses in both public and private sectors.

Related projects:

Future research direction: Nordregio will continue to contribute to knowledge on spatial patterns of Nordic mobility and accessibility and to inform and contribute to policymaking and spatial planning. The focus of the area is to collect data and analyse Nordic mobility and accessibility for different kinds of amenities and services. During the 2021-2024 period, our research will focus on:

• Collecting and analysing data on Nordic mobility, including migration and commuting.
• Assessing mobility barriers hampering Nordic integration, e.g., through comparative institutional analysis.
• Exploring mobility and accessibility to services through new methods, e.g., the use of mobile data.
• Monitoring technological developments like the 5G roll-out in the Nordic and Baltic countries. 
• Examining the phenomena of multi-locality, e.g., multiple seasonal residences.

Related projects:

• Healthcare and Care with Distance-spanning Technologies (Vård och omsorg på distans, or VOPD 1.0) (2018-2020)
• State of the Nordic Region (2020)
• State of the Nordic Region - Wellbeing, health and digitalisation edition (2020)
• Social services and care mapping in SPAs in the Nordics (2020)
• Reducing loneliness among older adults in times of covid-19 and beyond: Experiences from three Swedish municipalities (2020-2021)
• Welfare Institutes in Sparsely Populated Areas (2021)

Future research direction: Over the 2021-2024 period, Nordregio will contribute to the goal of "a socially sustainable Nordic Region" that "contributes to good, equal and safe health and welfare for all", in line with the Nordic Council of Minister’s Vision 2030. Future work in relation to wellbeing and health will focus on the following:

• Providing cross-regional analysis of data on indicators of wellbeing and health.
• Analysing the economic and social effects of the use of digital solutions in healthcare and social care.
• Facilitate activities promoting digital and inclusive healthcare and social care in peripheral regions of the Nordic countries.
• Examining best practices of cross-border, interregional, intermunicipal and cross-sectoral health and social care provision to create social sustainability and economies of scale, particularly in sparsely populated areas in the Nordic Region.

Related projects:

• The Impact of Participation (2016-2019)
• How does place impact the possibilities to follow restrictions during corona times? (2020-2021)
• From migrants to workers (2015-2017)
• Long-term planning for inclusive cities in the Nordic region (2018-2019)
• Integrating immigrants into the Nordic labour markets" (2017-2019)
• Nordgreen – Smart Planning for Healthy and Green Nordic Cities (2020-2023)
• Integrating immigrants into the Nordic labour markets - The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic" (2020-2021)

Future research direction: Importantly, and in line with the Nordic Vision 2030, Nordregio shall contribute to an inclusive, equal and cohesive Nordic Region. We aim to contribute to the development of new knowledge on social inclusion by continuing our collaboration with NVC/Nordic Integration Program and produce and disseminate research:

• Providing policy-relevant knowledge for planning socially sustainable cities and communities;
• Harmonising social inclusion data to make indicators comparable across national borders;
• Mapping and compiling existing research on effective policies, initiatives and methods for community and labour market integration of men and women - in rural and urban areas;
• Learning examples and new knowledge on the most effective ways to work with integration;
• Producing research that increases our understanding of civil society's contribution to integration;
• Examining ways to increase the participation of youth and older citizens in local development and in the green and social transitions;
• Researching policies for improving the situation of low-educated women on the labour market.

Communication and stakeholder engagement are integrated parts of Nordregio's projects.

Our communication and engagement activities aim to fulfill Nordregio's mission as an active knowledge-broker between practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. In practice, this requires planning activities with project teams and stakeholders that enhance impact, policy relevance and engagement, so that we make sure we contribute towards the targets In the Nordic Vision and create Nordic added value. New tools to assess research impact and communicate results to increase usability for key target groups will be tested during 2021-2024. The cross-sectoral nature of the Nordic Vision and Agenda 2030 also calls for increased focus on cross-sectoral approaches in our communication work. 

Nordregio's communication activities are based on seven fundamental principles:  

Target groups and stakeholders:

Communication channels and activities:

Communication priority areas 2021-2024 

Over the coming programme period, Nordregio will continue to use innovative methods for effectively disseminating research findings to key stakeholder groups. Our main priorities are:   

A project run organisation with delegated responsibility

Nordregio is a flat organisation and work is carried out in project teams made up of junior and senior researchers, along with GIS experts and communications specialists. Teamwork is a particularly important aspect of Nordregio's research activities and much of the responsibility for projects is delegated to project teams. Project team members are selected based on their expertise in relation to the task at hand, so the main goals and objectives of the project are met. Project leaders are assigned to each team and they are responsible for managing the project and effectively delegating work amongst team members to ensure the smooth flow of the project and that deadlines are met. Nordregio has a professional approach where the institution and the employees, are organised in a strategic, efficient, and inclusive way to ensure efficient project organisation, and implementation. This is formalized using the Nordregio Project Management Model that contains, among other things, descriptions of roles and responsibilities, rules and other aids used for running a project.

Staff development

Nordregio offers significant personal and professional development and is a stepping stone for future attractive employment. We provide the opportunity for employees to develop their knowledge and research competences through active participation in a range of diverse projects in different policy areas. We also offer employees the chance to study for a PhD and provide additional support and training in the form of internal and external courses on research methods and article writing. Development talks, where individual goals are set and discussed, are held annually with all employees and viewed as essential for positive career development. Nordregio is also a popular destination for academics and practitioners wishing to develop and refine their scientific research skills. Guest researcher positions are available for established academics and internships are provided for junior researchers looking to develop their work experience and professional portfolios.

Working environment

Nordregio's office is situated in the heart of Stockholm, Sweden, on the beautiful and picturesque island of Skeppsholmen. The premises are based in a house built in 1876 that was formerly the home of the Royal Naval Academy. Nordregio is acknowledged as a popular and attractive working place. The goal of Nordregio's HR policy is to create favourable working conditions through the development of a good physical and social working environment. We conduct annual working environment surveys to be able to identify areas for improvement. Nordregio has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and harassment. We also recognize the importance of good physical health and, therefore, we offer regular health care examinations, weekly massages, and funding for physical recreation, including gym cards. Working at Nordregio can at times involve a high workload and therefore work with stress prevention and other aspects of creating a good working environment are important at Nordregio. We believe that working at Nordregio should be stimulating and give room for constant learning.

Equal opportunities

Nordregio shall be an equal workplace where all employees regardless of age, gender, religious or other beliefs, ethnicity, disabilities, transgender identity, or sexual orientation are able to thrive and able to progress professionally. Nordregio shall in planning and decision making consider the effects on equality and diversity. The gender equality work is also an important part of the systematic efforts to improve Nordregio's work environment and should be included as an integrated and natural part of the daily operations. The work to promote equal rights and opportunities shall take place in cooperation with the employees. Since a lot of Nordregio's research is based on comparative international studies, it is necessary to have staff with different national backgrounds. Ethnical and cultural diversity is an asset for Nordregio and a part of the institute's success. The international environment is also contributing to Nordregio's attractiveness as a workplace.

Staff cooperation

Cooperation is an important part of creating the conditions for an active and collaborative working environment. Nordregio's cooperation agreement signed by the Director and the Local Union Club is designed to provide a structure for open dialogue between employer and employees. Cooperation helps build on mutual respect, openness, involvement, proactivity, and efficiency, which requires effective communication on all levels. Staff participation is an important aspect in the management of Nordregio and this is achieved through cooperation meetings with the Local Union Club, biweekly staff meetings and staff representation on the board.

Strategy editorial team

John Moodie, Senior Research Fellow
Rolf Elmér, Director
Karen Refsgaard, Research Director / Deputy Director
Åsa Ström Hildestrand, Head of Communications and Outreach
 

Layout: Marija Zelenkauskė, Communications Assistant
Cover picture: Johanna Feuk Westhoff, Senior Communications Adviser

© Nordregio 2021