The Nordic countries have the potential to lead the shift toward clean energy. Known globally for its commitment to equality and diversity, the region has the opportunity to embed these values into the energy transition. However, crucial perspectives risk being overlooked as women are significantly under-represented in the Nordic energy sector, one of the least gender-diverse industries in the region. On average, women make up less than 30% of the workforce across various roles, and this representation is even lower in technical and leadership positions.
Increasing female participation and promoting diversity in this field is critical for driving innovation, achieving a more equitable green transition, and ensuring that all talent is utilised to address the complex challenges of a sustainable energy future.
That is why the theme for the Nordic Energy Challenge 2025 is:
Powering Nordic Equality
Innovation for an Inclusive Energy Future
Nordic Energy Research wants to shape innovative research for an inclusive energy future and promote new ideas with exciting perspectives, recognising the potential for added value through joint Nordic initiatives.
This is where you come in!
We ask:
- How can we best empower equality in the Nordic energy value chain – from research to end-use?
- How can further Nordic energy cooperation facilitate a cultural transition that combines high environmental ambitions with equality perspectives, making the Nordics the most sustainable and integrated region in the world?
- How can we use the strong Nordic cooperation to create maximum added impact and value on both Nordic and national levels?
Submit your innovation proposal to power Nordic equality for an inclusive energy future
How to participate
We encourage all stakeholders to submit a contribution: companies, researchers and other academics, non-profit organisations, business and sectoral associations, thinktanks, students, and individuals. Please submit your abstract to Betty Søgård at [email protected] to participate in the first stage of this year’s Nordic Energy Challenge. You are also welcome to contact Betty if you have any further questions.
The Nordic Energy Challenge is divided into three stages.
Stage 1
Submit an abstract by 1 April at 13:00 (CEST) 2025, at the latest. The abstract should consist of up to 5,000 characters and include a short description of:
- The challenges and opportunities you are addressing
- The assumptions that form the basis of your proposal
- Your methodology
- Expected outcome and impact of your analysis
All submissions will be examined by the project team at Nordic Energy Research, who on 28 March will announce the submissions that have qualified to participate in the next stage.
Stage 2
Due on 12 May at 10:00 (CEST), the selected submissions shall be finalised and submitted. The final submission should consist of a maximum 5-minute video with 1-2 pages of complementary text.
On 20 May, a selected jury will announce the top three submissions, qualified for the final round.
Stage 3
The selected participants will be awarded at a workshop mid-August. More information about the award ceremony will follow.
Selection
Jury
A selected jury will evaluate the proposals that have qualified to stage 2. The jury will consist of highly qualified representatives from the Nordic energy equality community and from Nordic Energy Research. All members of the jury are obligated to sign a Confidentiality Agreement before receiving any proposals. Thereafter, the jury will assess the submitted proposals on their level of comprehensiveness, innovation, and consideration of Nordic added value. Proposals that are fully founded on existing projects will be rated lower in terms of innovation by the jury.
Awards
- The best contribution will be awarded with an honorarium of 50,000 NOK, the second best with 20,000 NOK, and the third best with 10,000 NOK
- Selected authors are encouraged to publish a summary of their proposal on the Nordic Energy Research website
- Authors will be interviewed on videos to be published on the Nordic Energy Research website/and social media channels
Read more about the previous years’ challenges and the competition here.