Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
OPERATIONAL PLATFORM FOR THE NORTHERN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION Dr. Päivi Iskanius, University of Oulu, Finland [email protected] ABSTRACT Northern Research and Innovation Platform is an operational platform for promoting northern know-how and expertise in the field of ‘the environment, energy and natural resources’ with a strong geographical emphasis on northern and arctic aspects. The platform brings together key research actors; universities and research institutes, universities of applied sciences and companies, in addition to other public organizations, aiming to generate multidisciplinary research projects and speed up innovations especially in the mining and new forest and bio-energy industries, but also in the field of emerging environmental technology industry. The platform also aims to support research in preventing environmental changes in the northern regions and in man’s operational prerequisites in cold climate conditions. Further, the platform aims to increase the awareness and visibility of northern and arctic research within the local and national sphere, as well as within EU authorities, and to strengthen the influence on national and EU programmes. The platform acts as a channel between the regional actors and EU authorities. This paper presents the development work of the Northern Research and Innovation Platform and shows how the platform can be used as a tool for the promotion of research and innovation activities. The platform is based on the European Research Area (ERA) and Northern Dimension (ND), and it follows the recommendations given by Finland’s Strategy of Arctic Region. The development work of the Northern Research and Innovation Platform is coordinated by the University of Oulu, Thule Institute, and financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Keywords: Northern research and innovation, Platform, ERA, European Research Area, Northern Dimension, Finland’s Strategy of Arctic Region INTRODUCTION The international interest in Barents region, North-western Russia and the entire Arctic region has risen during the past twenty years. The economic potential of these regions which are associated with natural resources; oil, gas, minerals, and new transport routes which may open because of the climate change, may underline the strategic importance of the region. The world heavily relies on fossil fuels to meet its energy requirements - fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal are providing almost 80% of the global energy demands (Korhonen and Savolainen, 2001). On the other hand presently renewable energy and nuclear power are, respectively, only contributing 13.5% and 6.5% of the total energy needs (Asif and Muneer, 2006). The global demand for energy is increasing, and the northern regions, with their new energy sources, may become a major energy reserve for European Union (EU). The growing exploitation of natural resources and enormous investments in energy and mining industries offers new business possibilities for northern EU countries such as Finland. Such possibilities abound, e.g., in the arctic shipbuilding and offshore industries, fields relating to the construction of infrastructures in cold climate conditions, service production and fields relating to security, energy, data transfer and the environment. The transport and logistics sectors have particularly great growth potential when the Northeast Passage opens. Also, renewable energy sector is growing fast. The development and use of renewable energy sources, such as wind power, solar energy, hydropower, biomass energy and geothermal energy, can enhance diversity in energy supply markets, contribute to securing long-term sustainable energy supplies, help reduce local and global environmental impacts and provide commercially attractive options to meet specific energy service needs, particularly in developing countries and rural areas, creating new employment opportunities (Asif and Muneer, 2006). Along with the forms of energy which are currently used, the prospect of using wood, peat, logging waste, agricultural waste, industrial waste, household waste and crop plants as fuel or a source of heat and power has also become a tantalizing business opportunity (Korhonen and Savolainen, 2001). Sustainable use of natural resources, preventing the climate and environmental changes and international emissions trading, and protecting the livelihood and culture of indigenous peoples require new technological, social and political innovations. For sustainable development, it is essential that the natural resources of northern regions are exploited in a controlled manner, taking into account economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts. Promoting innovations; include product, process and organizational innovations of an enterprise as well as social and institutional innovations at the level of industry, region and nation (Morgan, 1997), is one of the most important regional development policy devices (Kitson, et al., 2004), also for rural, sparsely populated areas such as northernmost regions of EU representing. Rapidly growing industries, related to the utilization of natural resources, need skilled employees, and global level experts. These industries are highly location-specific and far from the global markets, which increases the need for new knowledge, research, and technology. Special emphasis needs to be placed on developing technology and know-how which is compatible with the northern and arctic conditions, improving the business environment, and pursuing national and international collaboration. Supporting fields of business which show an upward trend, identifying new priority areas and interdisciplinary research targets, and producing state-of-the-art research data for the use of companies and business life in the region is a special challenge for the northern universities and research institutes. Further, research actors and companies have to be tied into a common innovation process. It is generally conceded that the innovative performance of regions is improved when companies are encouraged to become better innovators by interacting both with various kind of support organisations (Lawton-Smith, 2000). Innovation is highly localized process (Asheim and Cooke, 1999; Maskell, 2001). Innovations, whether they are radical technological advancements or incremental social and organizational changes – are also often done in networks, where actors of different backgrounds are involved in the interactive process (Asheim and Cooke, 1999). Innovations are made inside complex innovation systems, which are formed by industries, universities, venture capital organizations, governments and other public organizations. This paper presents the development work of the Northern Research and Innovation Platform and shows how the platform can be used as a tool for the promotion of northern research and innovation activities. The platform brings together experts from different scientific and industrial fields, from different regions, and different organizations; universities and research institutes, universities of applied sciences and companies, in addition to other public organizations. It is an open forum for collaboration, coordination and an increase of sense of community of northern research, with a strong geographical emphasis on northern and arctic aspects. The development of the Northern Research and Innovation Platform has started in northern Finland in the field of ’the environment, energy, and natural resources’. The platform aims to generate multidisciplinary research projects and speed up innovations, especially in the mining and new forest and bio-energy industries, but also in an emerging environmental technology industry. Further, the platform aims to support R&D activities in preventing environmental changes in the northern regions and in man’s operational prerequisites in cold climate conditions. The platform aims to promote northern know-how and expertise on environmental and energy issues and the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of the whole of Europe, and thus meet European needs, by combining the environmental and social dimensions into technological expertise. METHODOLOGY The aim of this paper is to present the development of the Northern Research and Innovation Platform and show how the platform can function as a tool for the promotion of northern research and innovation activities. The development work has started in northern Finland in the field of ’the environment, energy and natural resources’, but an international aspect was already taken into account at the start. The aim of the Northern Research and Innovation Platform is to act as an open forum for northern research actors in Northern Scandinavia, including Finland, Sweden and Norway, and also Russia. The empirical data for this study has been collected by analysing the publicly available documents, by arranging five workshops, and by interviewing several experts in the field. The development work has been carried out during the years 2009-2011. The research questions are: 1. How is the Northern Research and Innovation Platform developed? 2. How can the platform be used as a tool for promoting northern know-how and expertise in the field of ‘the environment, energy and natural resources? First, in this study, the current state of northern Finland in the field of ‘the environment, energy and natural resources’ is presented, based on the publicly available documents. The most significant changes which have happened in the operational environment of Northern Finland are presented. These major changes in the operational environment of northern Finland must be taken into consideration and will direct the development of the Northern Research and Innovation Platform. Also, based on the analyses of industries, the field of ‘the environment, energy and natural resources’ is positioned within the other clusters and industries. Second, in this study, the initiatives that the European Research Area (ERA), Northern Dimension (ND) and Finland’s Strategy of Arctic Region have recommended for northern research and cooperation are analyzed. The platform is designed, based on the five initiatives of the ERA related to 1) researchers, 2) research infrastructures, 3) knowledge sharing, 4) joint programming, and 5) international cooperation. The platform follows the ND policy recommendations that encompass cooperation among various stakeholders in the innovation system; universities, research institutes, parliamentarians and business. Finland’s Strategy of the Arctic Region states the targets for Arctic and northern know-how. These targets have been taken into account in the development of the platform content. Further, several national and regional strategies on northern research and know-how have been surveyed. Based on the literature survey, the basis for the platform is formulated and the targets and tasks are defined. Third, in this study, the key research actors in the field of ‘the environment, energy and natural resources in northern Finland’ were identified. Based on the identification, the research community for workshops was formed. Five workshops were then arranged (9.6.2010, 17.8.2010, 5.11.2010, 21.1.2011). Totally 80 experts from different regions of the Northern Finland, from different scientific and industrial fields, and from different organizations; universities and research organizations, universities of applied sciences and companies, in addition to financiers and support organizations, were participated in the workshops. The objective of these workshops was to examine and make forecasts of the developmental trends affecting the northern regions, to analyze the manner in which the northern regions should prepare for various possible future developments, by focusing and integrating activities, as well as by developing research and infrastructures, to evaluate and support the development of a northern research and innovation system, and to support the drafting of a common vision and research agenda for the northern platform. Based on the workshop process, the following content of the platform is formulated; future research needs, cooperation methods, and the vision, strategy, research agenda and joint operational programme for the platform. Finally, in this study, the Northern Research and Innovation Platform is formulated. In this paper, the vision, objectives and tasks of the platform are presented. THE FIELD OF ‘ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES’ IN NORTHERN FINLAND The current state of northern Finland Northern Finland is the northernmost and one of the most sparsely populated areas in the EU. According to Statistics Finland, the land area is 156 000 km2, over 50 per cent of the national territory, and the population is about 700 000, 13.6 per cent of the country’s total population. The average population density is 4.7 people/ km2. The region covers both rural areas and several small and medium sized cities. Most of the people live in urban regions. FUR Oulu is the largest centre with 220 000 inhabitants. The following five largest FURs; Rovaniemi, Kemi-Tornio, Kajaani, and Kokkola, each have 50 000–60 000 inhabitants. The remaining localities each have 20 000 inhabitants or less. The regions are also quite different in terms of human and economic resources. In FUR Oulu, the investments in R&D are 12.8 per cent of the national R&D funding, while the remaining localities have barely any investments in R&D at all (Statistics of FUR Oulu). All in all, northern Finland is a region of opposites with a strong concentration of high-tech manufacturing in the Oulu city-region, but, at the same time, possessing a strong role of agriculture and forestry as well as tourism in most of the other parts of the region. The main challenges of the region stem from its peripheral location, harsh climatic conditions and sparse and rapidly ageing population. Young people, i.e. future potential experts, move away from the region in particular. One exception in northern Finland is the Oulu region, with its youthful age structure and high birth rate. Only a few Finnish city-regions have the necessary research base and knowledge producing organizations to support the innovation of world-leading industries, but the Oulu region in northern Finland is one of these. Most of the regions lack strong research and innovation environments. However, instead, they have a relatively strong capacity in non-scientific practice-based innovation. In order to succeed, northern Finland must lead the way on a global scale in selected sectors of innovation activity. (Iskanius, et al., 2010) Northern Finland has a rich stock of natural resources. Industries which are related to natural resources include fossil and slowly renewable natural resources (metal ores, industrial minerals, natural stones, soil and rock materials, groundwater and peat), resources related to agriculture and forestry (wood, meat, milk and fur farming), as well as natural products and experience management (mushrooms, berries, lichen, hunting, fishing, tourism, reindeer farming) (Suorsa and Iskanius, 2010). The energy branch includes the production, transformation and delivery of energy as well as the refinement of fuels. In northern Finland, the focus in the energy field is concentrated especially in hydro-, wind- and bio-energy, as well as in the refinement of industrial wastes. Northern Finland has also been promised to be the location for a new nuclear power plant. The environmental sector includes the treatment and recycling of wastes, water and the waste water supply and sewerage, as well as the protection of air. The maintenance of biodiversity is also considered to be an important issue of research in the northern regions (Aarras et al., 2008; Pohjois-Pohjanmaan liitto, 2005). The enterprises in northern Finland are small. That is especially the case concerning business in the bio-energy sector, as well as in soil and rock materials. The latter also suffers from a lack of leading focal companies, as well as international marketing and productisation. In mining, most of the owner companies are international, and the raw material is processed outside the region. Based on the analyses of industries, the field of ‘the environment, energy and natural resources’ is positioned within the other clusters and industries (figure 1). Figure 1: The field of ‘the environment, energy and natural resources’. Northern research Northern research refers to research relating to the special conditions which are prevalent in the northernmost regions of the world. The primary special characteristics of the northern regions include a high sensitivity to the phenomena of global change, a cold climate, major seasonal variations in the amount of natural light, a low population density, a considerable diversity of cultures and identities, and rich natural resources. Northern research also looks at issues relating to global economy, society, social and regional development and their effects on the northern environment and communities (based on the Research Strategy Task Force of the Universities of Lapland and Oulu 2007 – 2008). Northern research is fragmented across various EU research programmes and research fields. Northern research has not been given due emphasis in the research policies of the EU. Northern research has been poorly coordinated in EU research policies, and EU funding for northern research has also been random and uncoordinated. According to Finland’s Arctic Research Strategy (Korhola, 1999), the focus areas in the northern research are 1) Arctic natural resource research, 2) Global change and adaptation strategies in the arctic regions, 3) People and communities in the arctic regions, and 4) Arctic infrastructures. From the viewpoint of the European research community, Finland possesses significant know-how and is the home to a large number of world-class research actors. Finnish northern and arctic expertise, know-how and research is internationally recognized. Finland possesses top-level arctic know-how in many sectors, eg. offshore industries, shipping industries, forest expertise, mining industry, metal industry, tourism, knowledge of traditional trades, lowtemperature experise, winter testing, measurement technology, power and heat generation and distrubution, energy conservation and energy effidency, arctic wind power technology, arctic building and infrastructure, environmental engineering and management of environmental impacts, sustainable social concepts, northern environmental expertise, northern health and well-being, waste management technology, informatioon technology and public e-services, innovation-oriented development, cold climate research, bio and nanosciences, risk analyses, oil spill prevention and response, material engineering (Finland’s Strategy for the Arctic Region, 2010). The research pertaining to nortehrn and arctic know-how and experiense is carried out in many universities and research institutes in Finland, however the universities of Oulu and Lapland, in particular, have been profiled as experts in northern and arctic research. Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, and Thule Institute, University of Oulu, have a leading position in the field. In August 2008, the universities agreed on a common strategy on northern research. It creates conditions for a regional (economic life, regional development organization), national and international network of northern research. In the annual negotiations between the Ministry of Education of Finland and the University of Oulu in April 2006, it was decided that; “the university will focus particularly on northern global change research and on development of the Northern Research Platform of the European research area, thus supporting the EU’s Northern Dimension Action Plan”. Under the theme of global change in the northern regions, universities carry out top-quality research in the following sub-areas, which were supplemented by research concerning the Sami people in 2009: - Natural systems: northern ecosystems, adaptation and climate. - Environmental research and technology: natural resources, energy, land use, mining, tourism. - - The economy and judicial systems, societal and regional development: changes in the sources of livelihood, social structures and political structures. Art and culture: northern culture and history, minorities and indigenous peoples, northern art. Health and well-being: the significance of environmental factors and diet for health and well-being, indicators of health and well-being, social exclusion and special groups, special circumstances and adaptation. Methods and technologies: economical and judicial guidance, the interactions of art and technology, the identification and monitoring of change, remote sensing and geographic information systems, methodological and design-based research. Research actors Research is fragmented in the field of ‘the environment, energy, and natural resources’, both in terms of the themes and actors (figure 2). The northern research is carried out in two universities; University of Oulu and University of Lapland, but also in three university regional units/consortiums; Kajaani University Consortium, Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, and Oulu Southern Institute; in five universities of applied sciences; Oulu, KemiTornio, Rovaniemi, Kajaani and Central Ostrobothnia, and in several university research stations; Kevo Subartic Research Institute, Oulanka Research Station, Arctic Centre, Varrio Subarctic Research Station, Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory and Kilpisjärvi Biological Station. In addition, the northern research is carried out in several national research institutes; SYKE –Finnish Environment Insitute, METLA - Finnish Forest Research Institute, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, RKTL - Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, GTK Geological Survey of Finland, Evira - Finnish Food Safety Authority, VTT - Technical Research institute of Finland, STUK – Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, and Finnish Meteorological Institute (Suorsa and Iskanius, 2010). Figure 2: Northern research is fragmentated - over 50 different units/organistations. In northern Finland, there are over fifty different research organisations/units in the field of ’the environnmet, energy and natural resources’. The research actors are small (staff <50) and they are located in various regions throughout northern Finland. However, small units tend to be more cooperative than large research communities. They are flexible in their decision-making and have a natural need for collaboration with others. The benefits which are reaped from collaborations are instantly visible as tangible increases in resources and know-how or as access to national and international research infrastructure environments or data. The research actors know each other, have few overlaps in their research efforts and already work together in various research networks. However, most future research needs are likely to involve more than one scientific discipline or field. Thus, greater effort should be made to increase interdisciplinary cooperation. For instance, the utilization of information technology in some of the more traditional fields might give rise to new innovations and business opportunities. Fragmentation creates specific challenges for multidisciplinary crossscientific research, as well as research carried out in collaboration with business life. For strategic reasons, universities and other institutes of higher education have agreed on organization-specific responsibility areas in education and research, as well as on the forms of cooperation between the various research fields (based on the strategies of. Lapland University Consortium 2009 and the report of cooperation project of the universities of Oulu and Lapland 2007-2009). Also, in the NorNET- Northern Environmental Research Network cooperation, national research institutes aim towards a more coordinated research in the field of the environment and natural resources. However, coordination, collaboration and the sense of community is still lacking. The collaborative networks of these research actors should be tightened, and their roles and responsibilities are in need of clarification. Particular attention should be paid to intensifying the collaboration between the public and private sectors, universities, universities of applied sciences and technology centers. Coordination is needed, and research activities should also have a clearer focus. While one cannot be an expert on everything, even relatively small competence clusters can represent top international expertise in a few carefully selected fields. STRATEGIES BEHIND THE NORTHERN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION PLATFORM ERA, European Research Area The European Research Area (ERA) was launched in 2000 for composing of all research and development activities, programmes and policies in Europe which involve a transnational perspective. The ERA provides attractive conditions and effective and efficient governance for doing research and investing in R&D intensive sectors in Europe. It creates strong added value by fostering a healthy Europe-wide scientific competition whilst ensuring the appropriate level of cooperation and coordination. It is responsive to the needs and ambitions of citizens and effectively contributes to the sustainable development and competitiveness of Europe. Europe 2020 – Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Strategy is integrated into the development of ERA. The target is; that by 2020, all actors fully benefit from the “Fifth Freedom” across the ERA: free circulation of researchers, knowledge and technology. The EU Research Framework Programmes were designed to support the creation of ERA. ERA was established to address the weaknesses of European research activities, such as insufficient funds, the lack of a suitable environment for conducting research and exploiting the results, and the fragmentation of research activities and resources. The last two apply in particular to the northern regions. ERA aims at creating a unified, frontier-free zone, allowing a more efficient pursuit of research activities and the utilization of scientific resources for the ultimate goal of boosting employment and competitiveness in Europe. International cooperation, the free movement of competent researchers between countries, top-class research environments and research institutes, the sharing of knowledge, coordinated research programmes and an openness towards the rest of the world are important tools in creating a common research area. ERA aims to increase cooperation in five areas; 1) the careers, working conditions and mobility of researchers between different sciences, industrial fields and states; 2) the creation of world-class European research infrastructures, 3) the transfer of knowledge 4) the joint design and operation of research programmes and cooperation between public research and industry; and 5) the international cooperation in science and technology. (European Research Area, 2011) ND, Northern Dimension EU is closely linked with the northern and Arctic regions owing to political, geographical, economic and scientific factors. The impact of the EU’s policies and decisions also extend to the northern regions. An example of this is the Northern Dimension (ND) policy, which was elaborated in 1999 with the participation of Norway, Iceland, EU Member States and the Russian Federation. The USA and Canada hold observer status. The main objectives of the ND policy are to provide a common framework for the promotion of dialogue and concrete cooperation, strengthen stability and well-being, intensify economic cooperation, and promote economic integration, competitiveness and sustainable development in Northern Europe. Related to the northern research and innovation, The ND also encompasses the ‘Arctic window’, which means cooperation on issues concerning the whole circumpolar Arctic region. The core of the ND policy for research is the encouraging cooperation is mutual dependence between the EU and Russia in the joint border regions. Besides cooperation between governments, ND also supports the cooperation between universities, research institutes and politicians and industry. Also, Northern Dimension Institute was established for university networking to help coordination of research and education, and to get funding for research projects. (Northern Dimension, 2009) Finland’s strategy for the Arctic region Finland has recently published Finland’s Strategy for the Arctic Region, the main objectives of which are, related to the science, to give stronger support for northern research, the development of regional climate models and the long-term monitoring of the state of the environment as the basis for decision-making, and to reinforce the national coordination of research and monitoring. Finland’s objectives are to strengthen Finland’s role as an international expert in arctic knowhow by investing in education, research, testing, technology and product development, to make better use of Finnish experience of winter shipping and arctic technology in arctic sea transport and ship building, and to improve the opportunities of Finnish companies to benefit from their arctic knowhow in the large projects undertaken in the Barents Region by supporting the networking, export promotion and internalization of small and medium size enterprises, in particular. According to Finland’s Strategy for the Arctic Region (2010): - The arctic region has considerable economic potential. The increase in maritime traffic in the Arctic Ocean and exploitation of natural resources are an opportunity for Finnish expertice. - - - - - Maintenance and further develpoment of arctic know-how, research and special experience require strategic choices and decisions on the part of Finland, and also relevant university-level education, correctly targeted investments and national and international cooperation. The development of know-how and technologies applicable to Arctic circumstances in the global operating environment highlights the importance of institutes of higher education. Competition is increasingly based on skilled labour and research resources in addition to market shares and capitals. The supply of new information and skills, and their diverse utilisation, will also lay the foundation for success in the future. The changes that have taken place in the operating environment require that universities accelerate their internationalisation efforts and resources are increased and focused on core strengths. International cooperation is a means of improving quality, eliminating overlapping activities, and gathering domestic and foreign resources for joint projects. Top-level competence is necessary when seeking interaction with leading global centres and actors. Finland has an extensive research infrastructure and a wide network of research stations. It is important that the national input into multidisciplinary scientific research continues. Guaranteeing broad-based Arctic research competence requires that universities and research insitutes emphasise their expertise in their strategies and activities and make use of the funding opportunities offered by the Academy of Finland and the EU Framework Programmes for research. Research and development bring economic benefits but also support environmental protection and the discovery and spread of best practices. Essential targets of the northern research have been summarized based on the Finland’s Strategy for the Arctic Region (2010): - Owing to climate change and international emissions trading, environmental technology has the potential of serving as an engine in the expoert sector. - Research plays a key role in adaptation to Arctic climate change and in the utilisation of opportunities offered by the Arctic region. - The environment is fragile in the Arctic, including Northern Finland.The principal problems include climate change, the environmental impacts caused by increased shipping and exploitation of natural resources, reduced biodiversity, long-range transportation of pollution and issues pertaining to nuclear safety. - The research carried out in Finland, especially in the monitoring of the state of the environment and in collecting long-term research material, has world-class relevance. - The improvement of transport, communications and logistics links and simpler border formalities are key factors for the development of Northern Finland. - The Sami in Finland are the Arctic indigenous people, whose status has been secured in the Constitution. Finland’s Strategy for the Arctic Region (2010) also promotes Finland’s interests within the EU at a time when the EU is formulating its own Arctic policy, and specifies Finland’s views in relation to the Arctic policies of other countries. According to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council – The European Union and the Arctic Region (2008), the European Community should maintain the arctic region as a priority area for research to close knowledge gaps and assess future anthropogenic impacts, especially in the area of climate change. The proposals for action include, for instance, developing further research programmes, assessing the state and evolution of the arctic environment, creating a new research infrastructure and enhancing monitoring and surveillance capabilities, and coordinating efforts in different research areas relevant to the arctic region, as well as developing arctic technologies. Finland’s Strategy for the Arctic Region includes a large variety of goals relating to the northern research and know-how. However, there are some important issues which are not covered by the strategy. The Northern Research and Innovation Platform aims to contribute to a part of these goals: - Finland should make the northern regions a priority area for research, and additional resources should be earmarked for these activities in the governmental budget. Finland should also lobby for the European Union and other international actors to channel more resources into research carried out in the northern regions. - Research should be integrated with environmental, foreign and industrial policies as this promotes collaboration between science and industry. - New opportunities generated by interdisciplinary approaches should be exploited. - Integration and the strategic development of northern infrastructures should be pursued. - Networks should be created between regional research clusters, and a competence area focusing on northern know-how should be established. - The knowledge and skills of people living in the northern regions, especially those of the indigenous peoples, should play a role in the development of the northern regions. - Finland should shoulder its share of the global responsibility, i.e., be "a caring mediator". NORTHERN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION PLATFORM The Northern Research and Innovation Platform is based on ERA and ND (figure 3). The platform is formed by analyzing the five areas of ERA; 1) researchers, 2) research infrastructures, 3) the transfer of knowledge, 4) joint design programmes, and 5) international cooperation in science and technology. Further, the platform follows the ND policy recommendations that encompass cooperation among various stakeholders in the innovation system. Finland’s Strategy for the Arctic Region includes a large variety of goals relating to the northern research and know-how, which has been taken into account in the development of the platform content. Also, there are some important issues which are not covered by the strategy. The platform aims to contribute to a part of these goals. The Northern Research and Innovation Platform is a platform for promoting northern knowhow and expertise in the field of ‘the environment, energy and natural resources’ with a strong geographical emphasis on northern and arctic aspects. The platform brings together key research actors; universities and research institutes, universities of applied sciences and companies, in addition to other public organizations, aiming to generate multidisciplinary research projects and speed up innovations, especially in the mining and new forest and bioenergy industries. Further, the platform aims to support research in preventing environmental changes in the northern regions and in man’s operational prerequisites in cold climate conditions. The platform also operates in the field of emerging environmental technology, focusing on, e.g., material and energy efficiency, renewable energy solutions and waste management, as well as water and waste water treatment, air protection, environmental measuring, monitoring, and analysis, environmental law and sustainable economy, and climate-friendly and cost-effective processes, automation and services. The Northern Research and Innovation Platform will develop know-how and expertise on the environmental and energy issues and the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of the whole of Europe, and thus meet European needs by combining the environmental and social dimensions into technological expertise. The platform also aims to increase the awareness and visibility of northern and arctic research within the local and national sphere, as well as within EU authorities, and to strengthen the influence on national and EU programmes. The platform can act as a channel between the regional actors and EU authorities. Figure 2: Northern Research and Innovation Platform. Based on the ERA, ND and Finland’s Strategy for the Arctic Region, the Northern Research and Innovation Platform is formulated: 1) The platform is an open forum for new partnerships between research actors, companies and the public sector in northern Finland. The platform encourages people living in the northern regions, especially those of the indigenous peoples, to share their knowledge and skills in the development of the northern countries. The platform encourages researchers and other experts to circulate and to cooperate across scientific, organizational, regional and national borders and to create transnational, multidisciplinary research groups. 2) The platform supports the development and operation of common research structures in northern Finland. The platform aims to make the northern regions a priority area for research, and recommend that additional resources should be earmarked for these activities in the governmental budget. The platform develops an infrastructure of electronic communication and promotes international networking. 3) The platform provides access for northern know-how and experience and promotes the collaboration between science and industry. The platform disseminates the results of publicly funded research to make them more exploitable, allowing them to be refined into new products and services. 4) The platform increases collaboration, coordination and the sense of community in a fragmented field of research actors. The platform actors participate voluntarily and variedly in defining, developing and implementing a common strategic framework for northern research. A shared vision on how the great societal and scientific challenges should be addressed serves as the platform's foundation. 5) The platform promotes collaboration in northern research and also creates new connections to neighbouring countries, while strengthening those that already exist. In collaboration with international partners, the platform will actively participate in addressing the challenges which are typically present in the northern regions. The platform strengthens the northern negotiation power to have an influence on the contents of national and international/EU programmes. The platform is a channel between region and EU and other international actors to channel more resources into research carried out in the northern regions. The platform develops recommendations, detailing specific tasks, approaches, participants and the necessary infrastructure for the national and EU programmes, such as FP 7 and the forthcoming FP 8. Northernmost Europe's future growth, competitiveness and sustainability objectives are dependent upon major research, innovations and technological advances in the medium to long term. The platform will promote the creation of new partnerships between universities, research institutes and companies, draft, in the first stage, a co-operation strategy for research and development from the regional and national starting points and links it with international strategies. The platform will play a key role in ensuring an adequate focus of research funding on areas with a high degree of industrial relevance, by covering the whole economic value chain and by mobilizing public authorities at national and regional levels. In fostering effective public-private partnerships, the platform has the potential to contribute significantly to the renewed Lisbon strategy and to the development of a ERA of knowledge for growth. As such, they are proving to be powerful actors in the development of European research policy, in particular in orienting the national and international research programmes better meet the needs of industry in the field of environment, energy, mining and forestry. CONCLUSIONS The Barents region, North-western Russia and the entire Arctic region offer extensive business opportunities especially in the sectors of shipbuilding and offshore industries, sectors associated with the building of infrastructure, and in the sectors of the environment, security, energy, and telecommunications. For sustainable development, it necessary to pay increasing attention to environmental protection, and thereby, also to the preservation of healthy living conditions for indigenous peoples and other inhabitants in the northern regions. Environmental issues are not just a separate sector of their own; instead, they are an important element of a wider whole. Because climate change and other environmental hazards are not contained by national borders, international cooperation for prevention is vitally important. The environmental problems in the northern regions must be identified and tackled in the close cooperation among all actors in the northern regions, by launching transnational, multidisciplinary research projects, and by making the implementation of international treaties more efficient. There is a strong increase in the demand for northern and arctic know-how and technologies. The feasibility and use of technological solutions and tools related to the sustainable use of northern natural resources and the preventing and adapting to climate and environmental change must be studied. Economic, technological and social innovations arising from this process must be developed. Controlling northern environmental issues contains business opportunities which offer an important way to solve these issues. The need for problemoriented multidisciplinary research has increased, and solving research problems requires more and more cooperation these days. The need for international centers of excellence is on the rise. The small number of businesses is a weakness for northern Finland. This creates a need for new methods of action to transform research-generated ideas and inventions into commercial profits. The productisation of northern know-how has also become a high priority. Issues which are related to the sustainable use of ’the environment, energy, and natural resources’ are usually politically and emotionally charged. Furthermore, different sources provide conflicting information, e.g., on how non-polluting the various production processes are, how sustainable the use of various natural resources is, and what the practical implications of climate change actually are. More impartial information and open discussions are required on these topics to allow an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable use of natural resources in the northern regions. People who live in the region tend to see the close proximity of, e.g., mines, waste incineration plants or nuclear power plants as a threat to their personal health and well-being or the region's other businesses, such as tourism. This is why we need information about the true impact of different industries and should also be on the lookout for possibilities to develop production methods and make them more ecologically sound. This is important in order to avoid pitting the region's different businesses (industry, reindeer management, tourism etc.) against one another. The northern research actors are small compared to their Central European competitors, which encourages cooperating and networking. Improving coordination of northern research will add interest in this horizontal area of research on a national and international level. This will provide northern research with more resources which can be targeted on research benefiting the economic life and developing new innovations. Thus, northern research will offer better support for regional innovation activity and regional entrepreneurship, and promote equal regional development. The Northern Research and Innovation Platform is not ready, but it has already adopted some specific characteristics when compared to the other actors in the northern research and innovation community. The activities will stretch over the entire circumpolar belt, and connect universities and the regions, from Canada to Sweden, from Japan to Russia, and Iceland, Finland. Compared to the other research actors or networks in the north, the platform is market-driven, down-up processes, and is also more focused to how research results can benefit the business world around the research institutes. In summary, the Northern Research and Innovation Platform supports the following activities: Scientific collaboration between various scientific disciplines, research institutes and industries should be increased. Scientific and infrastructure collaboration (logistic arrangements, research-related infrastructures) with other research institutes in the northern regions (Norway, Sweden, Russia, Canada, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands) should be increased. EU subsidies and programmes targeted at the northern regions should be exploited more efficiently. The European Union should be made aware of northern research needs. Existing networks and projects, and the results generated by them, should be utilized more efficiently. Impartial information (concerning different forms of energy in particular) should be generated and disseminated. Regional strengths (minerals, geo-energy, water, ICT) should be utilized better, and their true potential should be explored. More emphasis should be placed on value chain thinking: the possibility to establish new networks and adopt a perspective of sustainable production and product development. Education and know-how should be increased and developed by educational institutions as well as the exploiters of research and education (companies, decisionmakers, officials) – targeted training based on regional needs, training for top experts/researchers, the ability to accept new information. Educational collaboration should be increased both internationally and between various northern organizations. The Northern Research and Innovation Platform strongly supports the action proposal of Finland’s Strategy of Arctic Region, i.e., that the Academy of Finland should launch an arctic research programme with a special emphasis on multi- and interdisciplinary research and international collaboration, in order to safeguard Finland’s extensive competence in arctic research. Finland’s Arctic Research Strategy is from the year 1999. Responding to today's changing circumstances and financial situation through research requires an update to the new national northern research strategy and the adoption of a new approach based on Finland's Strategy for the Arctic Region. Vital important is also to influence on matters relating to research and know-how in the coming EU Arctic Strategy and commit the action proposals of the Northern Dimension policy. The Northern Research and Innovation Platform may create a certain kind of EU Gateway status for the Barents region, North-western Russia and the entire Arctic region related to the northern and arctic research and innovation. ¨ REFERENCES 1. Aarras, N., Nurmi, P., Stenholm, P. and Leinonen, J. (2008). Energia- ja ympäristötoimialojen pk-yritysten liiketoimintaosaamisen kehittämistarpeet. Tekesin katsaus 237/2008. 2. Asheim, B. and Cooke, P. (1999). Local learning and interactive innovation networks in a global economy, in Malecki, E.J. and Oinas, P. (Eds.) Making Connections: Technological Learning and Regional Economic Change. Ashgate, Aldershot. 3. Asif, M. and Muneer, T. (2005). Energy supply, its demand and security issues for development and emerging economics, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 11(7), 1388-1413. 4. ERA, European Research Area (2011). http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/index_en.htm. 5. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council – The European Union and the Arctic Region (2008), Commission of the European Communities, Brussels. 6. Finland’s Strategy for the Arctic Region (2010). Prime Minister’s Office Publications, 8/2010, Helsinki University Print. 7. Iskanius, P., Suorsa, K. and Teräs, J. (2010). Benchmarking study for the development of northern research and innovation platform – Case north Finland, In: Powell, S. (Ed.) Nordic Rural Futures, Abstract book, 121. 8. Korhola, A. (1999). Finland’s Arctic research strategy. Ministry of Trade and Industry, Helsinki 9. Korhonen, J. and Savolainen, I. (2001). Cleaner energy production in industrial recycling networks, Eco-Management and Auditing. 8, 144-153. 10. Kitson, M., Martin, R. and Tyler, P. (2004). Regional Competitiveness: An Elusive yet Key Concept? Regional Studies. 38(9), 991-999. 11. Lawton-Smith, H. (2000). Innovation systems and local difficulties: the Oxfordshire experience, in Acs, Z.A. (Ed) Regional Innovation, Knowledge and Global Change. Pinter, London. 12. Maskell, P. (2001). Innovation and Learning for Competitiveness and Regional Growth. Nordregio R2001: 4, Stockholm. 13. Morgan, K. (1997). The learning region: institutions, innovation and regional renewal, Journal of the Regional Studies Association, 31(5), 491–503. 14. Northern research strategy of the universities of Lapland and Oulu (2008), University of Oulu. 15. Northern Dimension (2009). Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Helsinki. 16. Pohjois-Pohjanmaan liitto (2005). Pohjoisen luonnonvara-alan kehittämisohjelma vuosille 2007-2013. 17. Suorsa, K. and Iskanius, P. (2010). The research promotion: The case of Nortehrn Finland. In: Pulliainen, E. and Siltanen, K. (Eds.). NORSA - Book of abstracts, 31-32.