The Internet is a critical part of the societal infrastructure in the Nordic region – giving rise to increasing concerns about the growing power of global tech corporations that supply the foundation for the region’s evermore digitalised welfare states. Yet, we lack empirical evidence for understanding, discussing, and ultimately regulating the changing power structures surrounding Internet-based communication. Presenting a novel framework for analysing and comparing the four largest Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden – this book provides nuanced insights into what we think we know about digital power and control. Identifying the main gateways into contemporary digital societies, we follow the constant flows of data – from the individual user connecting to a network operator that then passes the data on through local, terrestrial networks, Internet exchange points, and submarine cable routes, to the servers of a given website and app that in turn send the requested data back and collect a wide range of metadata in the process. This allows us to identify the key market actors and regulatory arrangements that shape the evolution of digital communication systems. What we find is a significant historical shift in the ways basic communication resources are organised and controlled in welfare states. Alongside the rapid digitalisation of Nordic societies, new gatekeepers have entered the stage while former ones have stepped into the background, established regulatory frameworks have lost their previous efficacy, and commercial forms of governance have taken over. Yet, we also find that the four countries – that are so often described as a homogeneous whole – have followed different institutional and infrastructural paths on their way to digitalisation, resulting in different degrees of disruption, globalisation, and state involvement.            

The Nordic countries are facing labour shortages. Yet, integrating migrants into the labour market remains a challenge, especially for non-EU-born citizens and refugee women.Employers play a central role in supporting integration. This report explores Nordic employers' perceptions of hiring low-skilled migrants. It highlights motivations, benefits, and challenges based on literature and interviews.The employers in this study believe long-term advantages outweigh initial challenges. Benefits include access to a larger labour pool, and improved public image. Common challenges are legal hurdles, communication challenges and limited language skills.The study finds that reducing language requirements and collaborating with the public sector, NGOs and staffing agencies are effective strategies. And while wage subsidies positively impact employment, the awareness among employers is limited.

Climate change leads to more severe and frequent disasters, increasing heat and sea level rise. When natural or man-made systems meet soft or hard adaptation limits, it can lead to loss and damage (L&D). L&D is unequally distributed, affecting the most vulnerable and least developed countries the worst. The Nordic Council of Ministers’ Working Group for Climate and Air (NKL) has commissioned a project in which the main objective is to map, identify and further develop potential solutions and sources for financial support to developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change induced L&D. This study is a key outcome from this project. In short, this study’s focus is on how to enhance and improve existing solutions and sources and innovate and create new sources of finance that can be used for financing L&D actions. 

Nordbor är duktiga på att ta fram klimatsmarta lösningar, men hur de lösningarna påverkar jämställdheten i regionen har vi länge varit relativt omedvetna om.

 2022 beslutade de nordiska ministrarna för jämställdhet och LGBTI att skaffa mer kunskap om sambandet mellan jämställdhet och klimatåtgärder i Norden.

 Nu har vi kommit en bit på väg. Den här kunskapsbanken är för dig som arbetar nationellt, regionalt eller i en kommun. Här finns kunskap om hur klimatåtgärder påverkar jämställdheten och vice versa, och vilka jämställdhetssatsningar som krävs för att göra klimatlösningarna mer effektiva.

In the Nordic region we are good at coming up with climate-smart solutions, but for quite some time now we’ve been relatively unaware of how these solutions are affecting gender equality.

 In 2022, the Nordic ministers for gender equality and LGBTI decided to acquire more knowledge about the link between gender equality and climate in the Nordic Region.

 We’ve now made progress.

 This knowledge bank is for those of you who work nationally, regionally, or in a municipality. Here you’ll find facts about how climate action affects gender equality and vice versa, and which gender equality measures that are needed to make climate solutions more effective.

This paper reviews how Nordic countries are working to improving cycling via policy and planning. It takes a national-level approach to review cycling objectives in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, reviews a range of mechanisms to achieve these objectives, and identifies the key actors responsible for carrying out the work. In the discussion section, the paper identifies several findings from the review work with regards to how the Nordic countries are currently addressing cycling at the policy level: 

• Cycling is primarily discussed as a means for contributing to environmental goals, such as GHG emission reductions, but is occasionally discussed as a means for improving health and well-being. Much less policy discourse focuses on economic or other social benefits of cycling. 
• The primary method for reducing GHG emissions in the transportation sector focuses on replacing fossil fuel cars with electric-powered vehicles rather than on cycling infrastructure or spatial forms that decrease overall mobility requirements. 
• The Nordic countries have some distinctions with regards to how spatial planning is operationalised, which influences how cycling is prioritised and managed.
• Beyond a dedicated cycling strategy, cycling objectives are often baked into other key plans and documents at the national level.
• Achieving national cycling objectives requires clear communication among local, regional, and national actors and across ministries, agencies, and departments, which is often a challenge. 
• Political turnover can be a hindrance to gaining support for long-term cycling projects. 
• There are many different indicators and ways to measure success for cycling objectives in the Nordic countries. 

The paper also highlights some of the developments taking place at the UN and EU levels, making cycling and its potential for improving cities and regions more visible across international policy. 

Mental ill-health is a significant social and public health problem in the Nordic countries. Studies also show that mental health problems have increased in the Nordic countries in recent years, particularly among young people. According to the studies included in this research overview, there are gender differences when it comes to mental ill-health. It is apparent that gender, sexuality and masculinity norms play an important role in how young men manage and experience their mental health. This overview focuses on knowledge about young men’s mental health in relation to current conditions and challenges in education and the workplace in the Nordic countries. The study also highlights knowledge about the impacts of the pandemic on young men’s mental health, where increased unemployment, distance teaching and isolation have risked reinforcing negative spirals in mental well-being. 

The Nordic Drone Initiative has worked on the development of sustainable drone-based transport services in the Nordic region. 

The objectives of the project has been to: 

 - To identify and evaluate how drones can be used in the transport sector to provide the greatest benefit to society, business and the environment.   

- Map the Nordic ecosystem for drones and the opportunities that this technology provides. 

- Contribute to the development of drone technology for Nordic weather conditions. 

- Propose the development of rule changes that enable drone transport at large-scale operations with vertical tale-off and landing. 

- Create a platform for continued research and innovation and developed international collaboration.  

There has never been a more urgent time to document how climate change is affecting our communities and our planet – and what we can do to adapt. Around the world, young people have been at the forefront of climate action, highlighting the effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions and demanding more from politicians and corporations. It was with these two notions in mind that the Nordic-Canadian Fellowship in Environmental Journalism was born: a chance for emerging journalists under 25 from the two regions to report on some of the biggest threats and opportunities related to the climate crisis. 

‌This anthology features the work of the thirteen Nordic-Canadian fellows. They collectively represent seven countries and come from a range of professional and personal backgrounds, but all share a passion for the environment and evidence-based storytelling. 

The book was originally published in December 2022 on the occasion of the exhibition Dispatches: Stories of Hope, Resilience and Change from the Nordic-Canadian Fellowship in Environmental Journalism. The exhibition at Harbourfront Centre was curated by Marlee Choo, Luigi Discenza, Alexandra Harvey and Laura McLeod. The Fellowship and the exhibition were part of Nordic Bridges 2022 - a year-long exchange of art, culture and ideas between Nordic and Canadian artists initiated by the Nordic Council of Ministers for Culture.

This policy brief delves into the importance of understanding and supporting the priorities of young people in Nordic rural regions to ensure these communities thrive. It highlights the importance of addressing challenges that keep youth from staying in rural areas and engaging with those unsure about their future there. Serving as a comprehensive guide for policymakers, the policy brief contextualises the report from the Nordic rural youth panel “ From Fields to Futures: 40 action points for rural revitalisation”. 

The brief examines academic discussions, prevalent narratives, and youth engagement efforts, emphasising the Nordic Rural Youth Panel's 40 proposed actions to revitalise rural areas. The paper investigates what young people need and want, their aspirations and ideas, and the solutions they propose to policymakers that could attract them back to rural areas. It also explores ways to create and enhance opportunities for rural youth to realise their potential and contribute significantly to their communities, thereby changing the existing narratives about young people in rural areas. 

Lastly, the policy brief stresses the importance of considering diverse youth perspectives in policymaking to promote inclusive and sustainable rural development.

The Nordic region's commitment to innovation and sustainability is poised to redefine the future of mobility and transport.

This report offers an overview of the current landscape, the challenges faced, and the potential pathways forward, ensuring that the region remains at the forefront of sustainable mobility. 

One of the core components of the report is the set of strategic recommendations provided. These insights, derived from research and industry interviews, are designed to guide stakeholders in the region. Whether it is policy makers or industry leaders, the recommendations offer a roadmap to ensure that initiatives in the mobility sector are aligned, impactful, sustainable and in line with the broader vision of the Nordic region. 

Situationen för LGBTI-personer i de nordiska länderna har förändrats radikalt de senaste årtiondena. Detta har medfört ökad tillgång till rättigheter på det sociala och juridiska området, förstärkt skydd mot diskriminering, ökad synlighet och fler möjligheter till gemenskap. Trots detta framgår det i studier att en könsidentitet eller sexuell läggning som inte följer den konventionella normen fortfarandesignifikant ökar risken för ohälsa. Hur påverkar dessa villkor förutsättningar för äldre LGBTI-personers möjligheter i åldrandet och vad som sker i kontakten med vård och omsorg? Nordiska ministerrådet har tagit initiativ till ett projekt som ska bidra till ökad kunskap om äldre LGBTI-personers levnadsvillkor och livskvalitet, särskilt i mötet med hälso- och omsorgsvård. Rapporten baseras på 38 publikationer som utgörs av kvantitativa såväl som kvalitativa studier.

The Nordic Network for Electric Aviation (NEA) stands as a pioneering industry-led project that unites Nordic stakeholders to accelerate the integration of electric aviation in the Nordic countries. Through cross border collaboration and coordination, NEA has paved the way for the emergence of a dynamic Nordic aviation sector, primed for innovation and sustainability. 

This report presents the findings from the NEA project and the key insights in the work on four challenges: 

- New business models for regional point-to-point connectivity and new business models for new direct routes between the Nordic countries.

- Charging infrastructure for electric aviation by consolidating national efforts into into a unified standard.

- Weather proofing and ice protection for electric planes in Nordic weather conditions. This objective involved assessing and developing technologies for battery thermal management and de-icing. 

- The fourth challenge was to create a platform for Nordic, European, and global collaboration. The climate challenges and new technical solutions need collaboration to speed up knowledge sharing. 

A Nordic Survey to Monitor Citizens' Use and Experience with eHealth:

The Nordic eHealth Research Network (NeRN) conducted a comprehensive survey study across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden to gauge Nordic citizens' experiences, usage patterns, and attitudes regarding digital healthcare systems. Employing a cross-sectional design, the study aims to furnish policymakers and decision-makers with quantitative data that can inform evidence-based policies in the realm of digital healthcare. Consequently, the study's outcomes enable cross-country comparisons, facilitating targeted interventions and policies. Various stakeholders, including patient associations, professional bodies, interest groups, healthcare practitioners, and citizens, can leverage these research-driven insights.

In the period 2021–2022, the NVL Digital – Working Life network has had a focus on digitalisation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and an interest in how new digital competences come to emerge in the manufacturing industries, with a focus on the skilled and unskilled employee. With this report's findings and recommendations for policy and practice, the network contributes to improving Nordic companies' participation in digital transformation. The project explores the ways in which digitalisation is unfolding and organising working life, and how new learning practices can meet new opportunities and challenges.

The project is conducted as design-based research. This means that the project has generated a knowledge contribution in the form of recommendations and that the project has designed a solution in the form of a mock-up for a dialogue tool described in the report. Furthermore, design-based research implies that the project is collaborative and that stakeholders related to SMEs in the manufacturing industry – i.e. employees, managers, and representatives of organisations through networks and reference groups – have been involved in and contributed to the different phases of the project. Finally, design-based research involves developing and testing a design proposal to contribute to solutions for – in this case – the development of digital competences related to digital transformation.

The main finding of the research project is that any digital transformation process shapes and is shaped by the concrete organisational practices of which it is a part.This means that the transformation is influenced by many factors that unfold empirically. In the present project, this unfolds in the form of identified paradoxes, particular narratives and changing understandings of hierarchy, among other things. Furthermore, another of the research project's findings is that digital technologies are just one of several actors helping to reorganise work and change the role and thus the professional identity of individual employees. Therefore, learning initiatives cannot only prioritise digital upskilling in digital competence development but must also involve professional experiences and insights possessed by the individual employee as a resource in the transformation. In this way, the project also contributes to pushing the boundaries of what it means to develop competences in digital transformation. Thus, competence development is also about how to get employees more involved in development and about the implications on, for example, professional identity, forms of collaboration, etc.

The dialogue tool developed by the project team will therefore contribute enabling enterprises to better understand some of these local implications of digital transformation and, on this basis, develop strategies for ongoing development of digital competences. This potentially creates a breeding ground for more innovation and growth, as well as creating more opportunities for participation that can have a beneficial impact on employee well-being.

Below are five recommendations that are the result of the research and developed through collaboration and dialogue with the NVL Digital – Working Life network during 2022. The five recommendations are presented in an order that addresses a policy and/or practice level, respectively. The first two recommendations address a policy and practice level pointing to the framework for companies' digital transformation. The remaining three recommendations point to concrete actions that can be taken in practice

De nordiska länderna vill att Norden ska vara den mest hållbara och integrerade regionen i världen år 2030. En naturlig del av denna ambitiösa vision är en integrerad nordisk arbetsmarknad för företag och medborgare. Här spelar det nordiska skatteavtalet och dess administration en avgörande roll. 

Covid-19-pandemin visade dock att det finns uppenbara utmaningar med tillämpningen av det nordiska skatteavtalet samt andra bilaterala avtal och nationell lagstiftning. Under pandemin riskerade medarbetare med arbetsplats på den andra sidan av en nordisk gräns att få skatteproblem om de följde rekommendationerna om att arbeta hemma. Utmaningarna lyftes fram av Gränshinderrådet, som vid flera tillfällen uppmanade de nordiska regeringarna att införa undantag för dem som ofrivilligt arbetade hemifrån under pandemin. Pandemin är över, men önskan om hybridarbete eller att arbeta på distans är här för gott. 

Det är dock inte bara beskattningen av löneutbetalningar i samband med distansarbete som medarbetare och företag upplever problem med. Till exempel visar undersökningar att det kan uppstå osäkerhet, högre beskattning och extra administration i samband med in- och utbetalning av pension samt i fall då en och samma arbetsgivare ska registrera och följa beskattningsregler, beskattningstidpunkter och löneadministration i flera länder. 

Om Norden ska utvecklas till en tillväxtregion med en integrerad arbetsmarknad med rörlighet för medborgare och företag, kräver det att just medborgare och företag i högre grad är i centrum så att lagstiftning och administration stöttar deras möjligheter. 

Därför har Nordiska ministerrådet och Gränshinderrådet, i samarbete med Nordiska rådet, 2022 startat ett projekt som ska identifiera de centrala problemställningarna och rekommendera möjliga lösningar. Syftet med denna rapport är således att ge bästa möjliga grund för fortsatt politiskt arbete för att eliminera de nuvarande nordiska skatteproblemen relaterade till hybrid- och distansarbete. 

Den psykiska ohälsan utgör ett betydande samhälls- och folkhälsoproblem i de nordiska länderna. Flera studier visar dessutom att den psykiska ohälsan i Norden har ökat de senaste åren, särskilt bland unga. Enligt studierna i denna forskningsöversikt finns det könsskillnader i psykisk ohälsa. Det blir tydligt att normer om kön, sexualitet och maskulinitet spelar en viktig roll i hur unga män hanterar och upplever sin psykiska hälsa. Översikten fokuserar särskilt på kunskap om unga mäns psykiska hälsa i relation till dagens villkor och utmaningar inom utbildning och arbetsliv i Norden. Studien lyfter även kunskap om vilka konsekvenser pandemin har fått för unga mäns psykiska hälsa, då ökad arbetslöshet, distansundervisning och isolering har riskerat att förstärka en negativ utveckling av det psykiska måendet. 

This report is the third in a research project examining how to increase labour market participation among vulnerable groups in the Nordic countries. The purpose of this report is partly to deepen our understanding of the prevalence of employment barriers among vulnerable groups and partly to group these individuals according to the employment barriers they face.

In the report we show that:

1. Individuals with no or weak labour market attachment typically face a complex set of employment barriers.

2. It is possible to group the vulnerable individuals in the Nordic countries into 8 distinct data-driven target groups that share similar employment barriers.

3. Traditional demographic target groups (i.e., young people, seniors, etc.) share common barriers, which challenge their distinct categorisation. 

These empirical findings demonstrate that future employment policies may derive greater benefits by focusing on the specific employment barriers faced by individuals rather than relying on broad demographic categories as a shorthand for the unique challenges experienced by individuals.

The Handbook of cross-border data exchange is part of the project ‘World’s smoothest cross-border mobility and daily life through digitalisation’, with a broader objective of streamlining the daily life and mobility of citizens and companies across borders by facilitating the exchange of data between authorities in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The handbook is collects the lessons learned in cross-border data exchange in the fields of studying and using healthservices in another Nordic and Baltic country, and in the use of Nordic and Baltic legal databases. The aim is to provide the reader with insights and ideas for future development by pinpointing identified networks, interesting initiatives, and potential funding mechanisms, as well as highlighting case examples that could be utilised in the development of cross-border collaboration.