The development of attractive island communities requires competitiveness and innovation. It also requires the development and recognition of island communities and the archipelago as a whole, in regional, economical, and political terms. Nowadays, it is also possible to choose best elements or urban and rural lifestyle and connect them to one's own tailored lifestyle. In the future, more mobilised nature of employment, retirement, and recreation will influence not only lifestyles but also residential patterns, meanings and identities of place.
The FLEX-project tries to find new ways to overcome the geographic heterogeneity of the islands as well as the regional inequality within the archipelago by promoting flexible work arrangements. Flexible work arrangements offer the possibility of shrinking the distances and improving regional dynamics. The project will develop the concept of flexible work by carrying out work experiment and local development actions. The project will also develop flexible working centre by identifying and developing premises that would be suitable for teleworking; looking for employees, entrepreneurs, companies and employers to try out flexible work; developing of local service concept.
Nordregio is responsible for Work Package 4 in which evidence of impacts of flexible working actions will be examined and analysed. Main task is to develop a coherent approach in flexible working arrangements through evaluation activities in the project municipalities. This includes especially the recognition of the appropriate mechanism, instruments and frameworks for transforming practices into policies.