Foreword An example of this sort of collaboration is the above mentioned
The Top-level Research Initiative (TRI) (http://www.
toppforskningsinitiativet.org/en) which has recently been finished. The results of the programme were first presented at COP20 in Peru and were also incorporated in the negotiations leading up to COP21 in Paris. The Nordic countries have their own ad hoc group for global
climate negotiations, NOAK, but the Nordic countries are also collaborating with various international partners and organisations. The Nordic Partnership Initiative, for example, is financing climate projects, especially in Peru and Vietnam, and Nordic Environment Finance Corporation NEFCO (
nefco.org) is a joint Nordic financial institution whose primary purpose is to generate positive environmental effects of interest to the Nordic region by funding projects in Central and
Eastern European countries. In
collaboration with The Nordic Development Fund (NDF) (http://www.
ndf.fi) NEFCO form the Nordic Climate Facility, which offers climate solutions to developing countries.
would become the history of the Nordic region in the second half of the 20th Century. In fact this only became our history because of bold leaders,
who in the aftermath of war chose cooperation. The Nordic countries had all been struck by the second world war
– but in very different ways. Their situations – and their distinctive areas of interest also when looking at the geopolitical situation – were diverse. But they chose to focus on similarities and common interests instead of limitations, differences and fear.
“The Nordic Council of Ministers is truly
Cooperation is obviously at the heart of Nordic collaboration through the Nordic Council of Ministers, NordForsk and other Nordic bodies. How do you involve all stakeholders, from policy makers to citizens, industry to research organisations in developing your policies? DH: The Nordic Council of Ministers is truly defined by our ability and obligation to collaborate and we are a typical networking organisation. This collaboration takes place on all levels in society from the Prime Ministers to the smallest NGO. The Nordic countries are indeed characterised by a low power distance and tradition of networking across NGOs and public organisations. A recent example of this is the programme NordBio which was launched by the Icelandic chairmanship in 2014 and focuses on innovation in food production, use of energy in the marine sector and the influence of forestry on the bioeconomy. The Nordic Council of Ministers is lead country of the bioeconomy collaboration of the EU Baltic strategy. Another example is our collaboration within the health sector
where the Könberg Report identifies 14 key areas where the Nordic countries could benefit even more from collaborating e.g. on a common global strategy against antibiotic resistance.
What is it about the Nordic countries that delivers such successful collaborations? DH: Nordic regional cooperation is part of this key to success. Nordic cooperation is quite unique. It is one of the oldest and most comprehensive regional partnerships in the world. But if we go back 70 years – to the end of the second world war – it was by no means obvious that this positive development
8
A Nordic research area delivers - what can other regions learn from you and how can European researchers and industry collaborate in this success? DH: Set up a permanent platform for collaboration between national research councils and other funding (innovation) agencies. Use this platform to develop real common-pot Joint Programming Initiatives where national interests intersect.
defined by our ability and obligation to collaborate and we are a typical networking organisation”
What measures are in place to help researchers get access to funding and engage with other research organisations within the region and in Europe and other parts of the world? DH: NordForsk’s most important funding instrument is the Nordic Centre of Excellence (NCoE). The funding of NCoEs aims to increase and facilitate cooperation between excellent researchers,
researcher groups or
institutions in the Nordic countries but also in Europe and globally. The aim is
to promote Nordic cooperation between outstanding researchers and research institutions, through strategic initiatives within areas of priority when this adds value to research in the Nordic countries. A Nordic Centre of Excellence is often multi-located i.e. distributed over several research institutions. An NCoE must have a joint research agenda, coordinated researcher
collaboration on research infrastructures. Through increased use of Nordic research infrastructure and cooperation across country borders researchers are given the opportunity for strengthened excellence and increased impact on the international arena. Within the NCoE opportunities are created for young researchers to be established in excellent research environments.
What are the grand challenges of our time - both regionally and globally - and how will the Nordic countries meet these? DH: Apart from the obvious challenges due to climate change, we are very preoccupied with the need to reform and adjust our famous and successful welfare model and make it more sustainable in the future. Last but not least, the Nordic countries are of course also very concerned about the severe regional conflicts in many parts of the world and the millions of refugees crossing borders.
Insight Publishers | Projects
training and
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