Green Growth

The Nordic countries have committed themselves to ambitious climate goals towards 2050, in terms of developing energy efficient and low-carbon societies. To achieve these goals, extensive green transitions are needed in all areas of the Nordic societies and economies, facilitated by promoting green economic growth, sustainability and competitiveness both in the public and private sector.

To meet the opportunities and challenges related to this development, the main financiers of cooperative research and innovation in the Nordic countries will launch a joint Nordic initiative on Green Growth (hereafter “the Programme”), a cooperation between NordForsk, Nordic Innovation and Nordic Energy Research. The total budget amounts to 73 MNOK.

Goal

The Programme will cover innovation, technology and all fields of research and energy.

The goal of the Programme is to generate knowledge and policy advice about green growth, and stimulate innovative solutions that can accelerate the transition towards a sustainable society.

The Programme shall do so by:

  • creating sustainable development in the Nordic region.
  • reducing existing industries’ environmental footprint.
  • increasing the competitiveness of Nordic industries in the growing international markets for clean technologies, products and services.
  • generating knowledge and policy advice

Target group

The programme will mobilise researchers and businesses in addition to stakeholders in industry, policymakers and civil society to develop and share new knowledge, methodologies, data, conceptual frameworks, business models, skills, best practices and technologies.

Thematic areas of research and innovation

Overarching collaborative projects, covering both research and innovation with energy as a crosscutting theme are encouraged.

I. Societal changes and future scenarios with focus on sustainable regional development.

Relevant areas of research and innovation include analyses of paradigm changes, new governance structures, institutional and public sector innovation, industrial transformations and development of conceptual frameworks to assist policy makers.

II. Global competitiveness and catalysing investment and innovation in Nordic businesses to utilise the ongoing green shift.

Relevant areas of innovation and research include:

  • emerging technologies
    • new products and processes.
    • export potential and global competitiveness of Nordic Cleantech industry.
  • efficient production and use of natural resources and energy, including:
    • barriers and opportunities for developing Nordic energy systems as a supplier and carrier of renewable energy.
    • sustainable extraction of non-renewable resources (minerals/fossil).
    • increased use of waste as a resource.

A call for proposals will be launched shortly and posted on the homepages of NordForsk, Nordic Innovation and Nordic Energy Research.

For more information:

Senior Adviser, Nordic Energy Research

Svend Søyland

E-mail: svend.soyland@nordicenergy.org

Phone: +47 47 48 79 30

 

Senior Adviser, Nordic Innovation

Haukur Stefansson

E-mail: h.stefansson@nordicinnovation.org

Phone: + 47 93 05 51 31