The Nordic Research Programme 2004-2008

The research programme “Internationalisation of regional development policies – needs and demands in the Nordic countries” was commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers. (NCM) Nordregio administrated the programme, which started in June 2005 and finished in 2008.

The aim of this research programme was to research key issues in need of new knowledge for the benefit of regional development policies and debates in the Nordic countries. The thematic areas and cross-cutting themes of the research programme are generated from the previous NCM research programme “Future challenges and institutional preconditions for regional development policy” and from the “Nordic Regional Policy Collaboration Programme” (Nordisk regionalpolitisk samarbeidsprogram) 2005-2008.

The research programme was divided in two periods. Phase 1 was running from June 2005 to December 2006. Phase 2  from 2007 to 2008.

During the four years 2005-2008, the total financial allocation to projects is approximately DKK 6.4 million subject to annual budget approval by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Phase 2: 2007-2008

The aim of this research programme that Nordregio coordinates is to research key issues in need of new knowledge for the benefit of regional development policies and debates in the Nordic countries. The programme had three prioritised themes; ‘Regional governance’, ‘Innovation and regional growth’ and ‘Demography and labour migration’. An overarching challenge for regional development policies in the coming years is the enlargement of the EU. This topic is therefore a cross-cutting theme in the research programme. The wide topic of the three dimensions of sustainable regional development; social, economic and environmental sustainability is also identified as of cross-cutting character.

In the next few years it will be of fundamental importance to increase our knowledge in these areas. Many regional development issues and research questions overlap these prioritised themes although they may be more firmly based in one particular area. Prioritised research themes and cross-cutting topics

You can read more about the projects funded in 2005 and 2007 here.

The Previous Programme 2000-2004

The last Nordic Research Programme was called “Future challenges and institutional preconditions for regional development policy”. It lasted during 2000-2004. The thematic areas and prioritized themes of the current research programme are to a great extent generated from the issues raised in the previous NCM research programme.

The following reports, available in pdf , have been published as an outcome of “Future challenges”:

Future Challenges and Institutional Preconditions for Regional Development Policy. Four Scenario Reports. Edited by Ilari Karppi. (Nordregio Report 2000:1) 249 pages. SEK 250 ISBN 91-89332-08-3

EIA, large development projects and decision-making in the Nordic countries. Editor Tuija Hilding-Rydevik.(Nordregio Report 2001:6) 239 pages. Price SEK 250 ISBN 91-89332-18-0

Audun Sandberg: Institutional Challenges for Common Property Resources in the Nordic Countries. (Nordregio Report 2001:7) 51 pages. ISBN 91-89332-19-9

Keith Clement and Malin Hansen: Sustainable regional development in the Nordic countries. (Nordregio Report 2001:8) 130 pages. ISBN 91-89332-20-2

Local labour market performance in Nordic countries. Editor Lars Olof Persson.
(Nordregio Report 2001:9) 148 pages. Price: SEK 150 ISBN 91-89332-21-0

Henning, Roger: Regional Governance in the Nordic Capital Areas.
(Nordregio WP 2001:8) 74 pages. SEK 100

Lars Winther: The Spatial Structure of the New Economy in the Nordic countries.
(Nordregio WP 2001:10) 58 pages.

Nordic Perspectives on Process-Based Regional Development Policy. Editors Markku Sotarauta and Henrik Bruun. (Future Challenges and Institutional Preconditions for Regional Development Policy; Volume 1) (Nordregio Report 2002:3) 275 pp ISBN 91-89332-24-5

Bærenholdt, Jørgen Ole: Coping Strategies and Regional Policies - Social Capital in the Nordic Peripheries. (Future Challenges and Institutional Preconditions for Regional Development Policy; Volume 2) (Nordregio Report 2002:4)

Lähteenmäki-Smith, Kaisa: Regimes of regional development and growth across Nordic regions.(Future Challenges and Institutional Preconditions for Regional Development Policy; Volume 3) (Nordregio Report 2002:5) 50 pp.

Partnership Responses – Regional Governance in the Nordic states. Editors Anders Östhol and Bo Svensson. (Future Challenges and Institutional Preconditions for Regional Development Policy; Volume 4) (Nordregio Report 2002:6) 278 pp.

Clement, Keith & Hansen, Malin: Environmental Incentives for Nordic SMEs. (Nordregio Report 2002:7) 91 pp. SEK 100 ISBN 91-89332-28-8

Restructuring the State – Regional Impacts: A Comparative Nordic Perspective. Edited by Kaisa Lähteenmäki-Smith and Lars Olof Persson. (Future Challenges and Institutional Preconditions for Regional Development Policy, Volume 5) (Nordregio Report 2002:9) 134 pp. ISBN 91-89332-30-X

Grönqvist, Mikaela: Partnerskap - från princip till praktik: En jämförande studie i hur partnerskapsprincipen tolkats i praktiken i ett regionalt strukturfondsprogram i Sverige och i Finland. (Nordregio WP 2002:3) 84 pp.

Bærenholdt, Jørgen Ole: Coping Strategies and Regional Policies - Social Capital in the Nordic Peripheries - Country report Greenland. (Nordregio WP 2002:4) 38 pp.
Benediktsson, Karl & Skaptadóttir, Unnur Dís: Coping Strategies and Regional Policies - Social Capital in the Nordic Peripheries - Country report Iceland. (Nordregio WP 2002:5) 47 pp.

Lindahl, Karin Beland: Coping Strategies and Regional Policies - Social Capital in the Nordic Peripheries - Country report Sweden. (Nordregio WP 2002:6) 73 pp.

Lehto, Esko: Coping Strategies and Regional Policies - Social Capital in the Nordic Peripheries - Country report Finland. (Nordregio WP 2002:7) 38 pp.

Hovgaard, Gestur: Coping Strategies and Regional Policies - Social Capital in the Nordic Peripheries - Country report Faroe Islands. (Nordregio WP 2002:8) 32 pp.

Clement, Keith, Hansen, Malin and Bradley, Karin: Sustainable Regional Development: Learning From Nordic Experience. (Nordregio Report 2003:1) 121 pp. ISBN 91-89332-31-8

Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programs: Nordic experiences in relation to the implementation of the EU directive 2001/42/EC. Edited by Tuija Hilding-Rydevik. (Nordregio Report 2003:4) 200 pp. ISBN 91-89332-34-2

Knudsen, Jon P.: Future challenges and institutional preconditions for regional development policy - Summary from the first phase of a Nordic research programme. (Nordregio WP 2003:1) 28 pp

Innovations in the Nordic Periphery. Edited by Nils Aarsæther. (Nordregio Report 2004:3) 264 pp. ISBN 91-89332-42-3

Tools for Sustainable Regional Development: Experiences and Prospects. Tuija Hilding-Rydevik et al. (Nordregio Report 2004:4) 203 p. ISBN 91-89332-43-1

Hovgaard, Gestur, Eythorsson, Gretar Thor and Fellman, Katarina: Future Challenges to Small Municipalities : The Cases of Iceland, Faroe Islands and Åland Islands. (Nordregio Report 2004:5) 78 pp. ISBN 91-89332-44-X

Keith Clement, Karin Bradley and Malin Hansen: Environment and Sustainable Development Integration in the Nordic Structural Funds: An Appraisal of Programming Documents. (Nordregio Report 2004:7) 162 pp. SEK 200 ISBN 91-89332-47-4

Economic Renewal and Demographic Change: An evaluation of local labour market performance in the Nordic countries. Editor Lars Olof Persson. (Nordregio Report 2004:8) 166 pp. ISBN 91-89332-46-6

Mariussen, Åge: Nordic ICT Spaces: A policy-oriented overview of regional ICT. (Nordregio WP 2004:3) 50 s.

Foss, Olaf & Juvkam, Dag: Patterns of Demographic Ageing and Related Aspects in the Nordic Peripheries. (Nordregio Report 2005:2)