The strategy process for the upcoming research period, 2015-2018, has begun and Nordic Energy Research is arranging national workshops in each Nordic country during the spring months. The first two workshops took place in Helsinki, Finland and Reykjavik, Iceland on 31March and 2 April.

The national workshops are held in order to gather input from central stakeholders in government, academia and industry and they will feed into the 2015-2018 strategy, which will be approved by the Nordic Energy Ministers later this year. Based on this strategy, Nordic Energy Research will launch a call for research proposals at the end of 2014.

During the workshops in Helsinki and Reykjavik, the audience received an introduction to the host country’s R&D strategies, activities, and current trends, before Director Anne Cathrine Gjærde presented Nordic Energy Research and the strategy process.

In the second part of the workshop, participants took on the challenging task of describing how Nordic Energy Research can leverage its position in the upcoming research period to maximise the benefit of Nordic cooperation in the energy sector.                                                                                                                 This led to lively discussions in both Helsinki and Reykjavik and gave interesting input for the continuation of the strategy process.

The new strategy will guide the various activities of Nordic Energy Research, including its main allocation of research funding, and its starting year, 2015, will mark Nordic Energy Research’s 30th year supporting Nordic cooperation.

By having a broad and thorough process, Nordic Energy Research is able to secure a strategy with a distinct focus and clear goals for fulfilling the institutions mandate – to provide research funding and facilitate policy advice.

A summary of the workshops and draft strategy document will be made available on this website for comment before summer.