Nordregio Forum 2024: Nordics Turning Green
Researchers from Co-PLAN, UBGeF and CEA participated in a week long of discussions, reflections, updates and sharing of views on how we can plan and implement new policies and solutions for a greener and just future.
The visit kickstarted at the Nordregio offices in Stockholm, where we had the opportunity to get introduced with the Nordregio team and the Nordic cooperation. The meeting was followed then, by an intensive seminar on “The State of the Nordic Region” a flagship bi-annual publication that provides a Nordic panorama of regional development trends in the Nordic countries, regions, municipalities, and cities based on the latest statistical data. The 2024 edition of State of the Nordic Region presents a collection of maps, figures and analysis within three core areas: demography, labor market, and economy. It also includes a multidimensional Regional Potential Index that summarizes the current and past performance of the regions across major policy domains and enables cross-regions comparisons across the Nordics.
Following the presentation, a vivid discussion was taken by all participants on comparing and bringing the perspectives from the Western Balkans macro-region, highlighting the common challenges we face as a post-pandemic society and in the edge of just green transition.
In the afternoon, we delved into the topic of “How to support local authorities driving the green transition”. The Nordic municipalities experience on the #SDGs work was presented, highlighting mainly on their priorities, challenges, and success factors – including national support to the local level in building competence and promoting municipal cooperation.
The last part of the day, was dedicated to our GreenFORCE task, activities and upcoming deliverables. As part of GreenFORCE we’ll be soon sharing a Joint Research Agenda on the Just Green Transition in the Western Balkan, highlighting on the key research topics to be addressed from the quadruple helix actors in the region. In addition, we embarked on the discussion with regards to the “Pathways for macro-regional co-operation in the Western Balkans”, highlighting here the challenges, opportunities and possible cooperation alternatives and tools to support this.
On 20-21 November, we joined the Nordregio Forum 2024 – Nordics Turning Green in Lulea. This annual event brought together decision makers, industry leaders and researchers working with regional, rural and urban development to discuss how to transform visions of an attractive green transition into actionable strategies.
As part of the forum, we had the opportunity to participate in study visits to regions and companies actively driving the green transition. We had an insightful visit to Boden Municipality, where innovative approaches to sustainability are shaping regional development. Additionally, we explored the Swedish Lapland Area and Regional Authority, gaining valuable perspectives on how this unique region is aligning its strategies with the green transition.
One of the highlights was our visit to SSAB in Luleå, Scandinavia’s largest steel sheet manufacturer. We witnessed firsthand their groundbreaking work in fossil-free steel production, exploring their blast furnace, coking plant, and steelworks. These visits provided a vivid understanding of how industrial innovation and regional collaboration are transforming sustainability ambitions into tangible progress.
While the forum was focused on how to elevate the Nordic green transition to create more attractive and competitive regions, it provided valuable insights into innovative approaches, practical tools, and collaborative frameworks that can inspire and support the green development efforts in the Western Balkans as well.
A special thank you goes to the Nordregio team for hosting us, being a longstanding and invaluable partner, and working jointly with us to deliver the GreenFORCE Horizon project successfully. Your dedication and collaboration continue to inspire and strengthen our shared commitment to a greener, more sustainable future.
