Overall, the experiences of remote work during the pandemic have been fairly similar in the five Nordic countries. Similar trends are also evident, though to differing degrees, with respect to the effects on different places throughout the region. The most notable differences between the countries relate to the regional policy responses, and it is perhaps here that the greatest potential for Nordic added value emerges. Given this, our recommendations focus on ways in which to strengthen Nordic cooperation and cross-Nordic learning on issues related to the regional development and planning implications of remote work going forward.

Increased acceptance and effectiveness of remote work has the potential to bring about significant positive change in many regions and municipalities. For example, supporting population development and access to jobs in areas where employment opportunities are limited and increasing skills supply in regions that struggle to attract talent. But how can policy makers best respond to turn these potentials into reality? Facing a similar situation with expected higher levels of remote work, it is recommended that the Nordic Council of Ministers host a Nordic knowledge sharing event aimed at national policy makers and senior officials working on initiatives related to remote work and regional development (e.g., location independent jobs in Iceland, Statens Hus in Norway). The aim of the event would be to showcase good Nordic practices within this field but also to share knowledge around common challenges and how they have / can be addressed. Input gained from such an event could inform national level responses and prevent Nordic actors from working in parallel.

Nordic citizens are increasingly living their lives across more than one location, yet our ability to understand the implications of this for different regions and municipalities remains limited. It is recommended that the Nordic Council of Ministers establish a small working group with representation from all Nordic countries and independent territories. The aim of the group would be to share knowledge on progress that is being made in the countries around issues related to multilocality, including (but not limited to): the reliability and availability of data for understanding multilocality; challenges (and potential solutions) related to taxation, transportation and service provision; implications of multilocality for social, economic, and environmental sustainability. 

Similar experiences during the pandemic were evident among regional and local stakeholders, regardless of which country they were working in. They also face similar questions about the implications for planning in different types of places. This suggests that providing opportunities for regional and local actors from the Nordic countries to come together could be a valuable source of Nordic added value and support practical knowledge exchange between actors on the ground. To enable this opportunity, it is recommended that the Nordic Council of Ministers develop a pilot program in which regional or local planners could, for example, apply for a small grant to support a joint activity with actors from two or more Nordic countries. Such a program could also include the offering of expert guidance to the partnerships or joint learning sessions on local and regional responses to remote work and multilocality.  The aim of the program would be to bring together actors who are experiencing changes in their municipality / region as a result of increased opportunities for remote work. Activities may include (but should not be limited to): online knowledge sharing events; physical study visits; worker exchange.