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Sustainable growth and business development

Facilitating use of Nordic plant genetic resources

Applicant: Nordic Genetic Resource Center, Sweden
Countries: Finland, Norway, Iceland

The project aims to increase the use of plant genetic resources by directly channelling information and place material for plant breeders working in the North/Arctic region. This is done by evaluating countries, races and game material in the Nordic collection of red clover. The focus will be on agricultural products characteristics that are important for the Nordic breeders in their work to produce new adapted varieties in the northern Arctic regions present and future climate. The project will result in: 1) the identification and distribution of material for future pre-breeding and rearing of projects aimed at adapting red clover to northern climate and future climate change, 2) cooperation among the main companies/organizations working with pre-reproduction of animals for the northern part of Scandinavia, and 3) to facilitate the long-term use of Nordic red clover by substantially increasing the publicly available knowledge about agricultural products.


Sustainable communities and the legacies of mining in the Nordic Arctic

Applicant: KTH, Sweden
Countries: Norway, Denmark, Greenland, Russia

The project aims to examine how the legacy of mining has affected communities in the Nordic Arctic. The project analyses how the material structures produced by mining affects the prospects for the production of sustainable communities and how industrial heritage can serve as a resource for a sustainable economic future. The project uses a multidisciplinary approach (archaeology, history, anthropology, cultural studies, and cultural geography) and seeks to produce insights applicable across different mining -based communities. The project is based on three fieldwork phases, respectively, in Kiruna (Sweden) , Qullissat (Greenland) and Longyearbyen and Pyramiden (Svalbard).


Sustainable small scale animal breeding schemes in the Nordic region

Applicant: Nordic Genetic Resource Center, Sweden
Countries: Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Finland

The project aims to identify challenges and opportunities to maintain and develop animal husbandry in the north. The project has two purposes: 1) It will organize a seminar to sum up the challenges and opportunities for livestock improvement programmes in the Nordic region to ensure sustainable breeding conditions. 2) An in-depth analysis of two case studies with different characteristics will be carried out to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in cooperation with breeding organizations.


Value from wastes

Applicant: Matis, Iceland
Countries: Norway, Russia

The project aims to develop and transfer technology to developing innovative products from by-products of representative production and food processing activities in the three participating regions. The project will establish a network of researchers actively involved in innovation and technology development with the food industry in three different areas of the Arctic, where case studies are carried out. Focus will be on exchanging expertise and scientific knowledge, and developing innovative solutions to create value from waste in traditional treatment and food production, the transfer and application of new technologies. There will also be demonstration studies in each of the three case study areas.


Intensive aquaculture and sustainable regional development in the Arctic

Applicant: Nofima, Norway
Countries: Iceland, Sweden, Faroe Islands, Canada

The project aims to understand factors affecting aquaculture controversy in the Arctic. Aquaculture controversy will be highlighted by sharing knowledge from already completed and ongoing research projects in Sweden, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway and Canada, where the specific objectives are to: 1) Identify the similarities and differences in aquaculture controversy in Arctic communities, 2) identify challenges and opportunities in relation to sustainable regional development of aquaculture in the Arctic, and its interaction with the Arctic communities, 3) Better understand and manage the impact of aquaculture on indigenous peoples and Arctic communities , 4) Transfer knowledge to politicians and bureaucrats, 5) Try to influence future strategies and initiatives for sustainability, and 6) Develop research projects.


Site guidelines Greenland

Applicant: Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO), Norway
Countries: Denmark, Sweden, USA

The purpose of the project is to conduct a feasibility study to develop a project that will implement AECO guidelines in Greenland. Until now, the Guidelines, which give advice on how to act to minimize the negative impact from tourists, have been implemented in Svalbard. The main activity will be a working seminar that will bring partners together. Here the overall timeframe, objectives, procedure and the way forward in the development of a project in Greenland will be decided.


The 2013 Arctic Energy Summit: Northern dialogue

Applicant: The Arctic Portal, Iceland
Countries: Sweden, Norway

The conference brings together representatives from industry, energy experts, government officials and politicians. It will focus on issues related to energy development in order to meet environmental, human and business needs. The goal of the project is to bring Nordic organizations and companies' knowledge and experience on the international debate on energy in the Arctic region. Results will be disseminated after the conference in the form of a website, media coverage and a conference report.


Cruise Symposium Reykjavik

Applicant: Visit Greenland, Grønland
Countries: Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway, UK, Canada

The Cruise Symposium will be held in Reykjavik. The participants consist of invited cruise lines, foreign expert presenters and tourism stakeholders from the six countries involved in the North Atlantic. The purpose of the symposium is to promote the region from St. John in the west to Bergen in the east to an important partner in the business and investment context. It will ensure wider and wider distribution of vessels throughout the North Atlantic, which refers to a risk of conditions and the majority of earnings will be defined by the cruise line and shipping companies.


Sustainable bioeconomy in the Arctic

Applicant: SamNordisk Skovforskning, Denmark
Countries: Norway, Greenland, Iceland

The project aims to identify opportunities and challenges for sustainable bio-economy in the Arctic with particular focus on primary industries. The project will establish a network of researchers, experts, policy makers, organizations, and local stakeholders to explore potentials for sustainable biomass production and use in a greater bioeconomy context. In addition a seminar will be arranged in South Greenland in 2013, where opportunities and challenges for the development of bioenergy initiatives for Arctic bio-economy are presented and discussed and prioritized. Finally, the project will support the continued development of a number of Arctic bio-economy initiatives where SNS and NKJ as Nordic organizations cooperate with local actors and organizations.


Staying local and competitive - understanding corporate sustainability in Northern SMEs

Applicant: University of Lapland, Finland
Countries: Norway, Iceland

The project aims to develop a better understanding of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) ability to balance local and non-local relations in order to develop socially sustainable businesses and communities. Non-local relations refer to the need of SMEs to develop relationships that go beyond the local community in relation to finance, distribution, etc. in order to be competitive. Comparative case studies will be carried out in northern Norway, Finland and Iceland.


Living in the North, and living well

Applicant: KUN Center for Knowledge and Gender Equality
Countries: Norway, Sweden, Faroe Islands

The project focuses on social sustainability in the circumpolar north. The objective is to review best practices of adaptations between society, demography, industry and working life. A number of communities and industries, workplaces and service providers will be studied and described. The results will be compiled in a publication about 'the Nordic Way'. The main focus will be on the gender aspect, including life phases, age elements and education.


Value creation in rural areas characterised by industry: local actors, positions and roles in Nordic peripheries

Applicant: Norut Alta
Countries: Norway, Sweden, Iceland

The project will examine which types of actor in the north are involved in the networks that drive the raw material-based industrial development. This will increase knowledge about the importance of industrial projects for broad regional development in the periphery. The following case studies will be considered in the project: the internationally-operated oil and gas industry in northern Norway, Alcoa's aluminium production in eastern Iceland and similar plans in Greenland, and the Australian mining industry in the municipality of Sør-Varanger.


Ethnocultural Entrepreneurship in the Arctic

Applicant: Creative Industries and Cultural Tourism Development Fund
Countries:
Russia, Norway, Finland, Canada

The project will initiate communication with entrepreneurs from local/ethnic communities who engage in arts and crafts and other activities relating to local/ethnic cultures, in Norway, Finland, northern Russia and Canada. This will be achieved via round-table discussions, an international seminar, and development of a website that will serve as a source of information about cultural entrepreneurship. A project report will be written and the project is expected to lead to the formation of a network between the project partners that will subsequently continue the work with cultural entrepreneurship.


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