Sustainable Development in the Mid Nordic Region

The eight County Councils from Norway, Sweden and Finland being the members of the 25 year old Mid Nordic Committee (MNC)-covering the Mid Nordic Region (MNR)-are facing great challenges such as an ongoing decrease of the population and a tendency towards centralization of the whole society. The cities in the MNR have difficulties in balancing the increasing impact from the big cities. The population density is low compared to the central and southern parts of the three countries, and extremely low compared to that of the other EU countries. Subsequently there are grave consequences with high costs for public and private service, for the transport of people and goods and for small business to get access to the commercial markets. Traditional industry and farming do not create new jobs like they used to. The low population density does not favour the creation of new business. The MNR has several thousand-year-old cultural tradition of communicating along an east-west axis. In addition there is a rich cultural heritage. The living conditions in MNR are of highest quality with access to great nature and a rich culture. One way of balancing the negative trends is to develop the advantages and make them more visible, both for the inhabitants in MNR and for the people in the BSR and EU. With a stronger identity and a higher self-esteem, MNR can more actively take part in the challenges for the northern part of EU as well as the efforts to promote sustainable development. The MNR attractive force must be increased, which can also be done by developing a joint strategy in a MNR common perspective, applying the inter sector comprehensive view that characterizes «spatial development». The top goal of the project is to develop and market the MNR potential, based on natural resources and environmental qualities. The type of measures, being based on the earlier analyses of MNR’s strengths and weak points, will be 1) strengthening the trans national co-operation within MNR, politically and through co-operation between regional centres, universities and science parks 2) strengthening the knowledge and the ability to compete within the environmental sphere 3) develop MNR’s natural resources for sustainable energy production 4) engage young people to improve the conditions for future development 5) use culture to strengthen the identity. Together these activities will contribute to a sustainable development thus also strengthening BSR and EU. PROMIDNORD home page is to be find under www.mittnorden.net