European Value Chains for the green transition
The Policy Learning Platform hosted a peer review for the Regional Council of Jämtland-Härjedalen, in Östersund, Sweden, on 14 and 15 November 2023. The Region was looking for inspiration on how to build European value chains for the green industrial transition.
Jämtland-Härjedalen is part of Middle-Norrland together with Västernorrland. The two counties, operating under distinct policy systems, have initiated discussions on coordinating their activities for change and development.
They are also working towards creating bridges between their S3 strategies and drawing insights from the Interreg Europe project InnoHEIs. The approach is to move from producing and exporting raw materials such as energy, wood fibre-based products, tourism to possibly also exploring new opportunities in knowledge-intensive industries.
The regional industrial landscape is currently lacking in human capital. The region faces considerable challenges for recruiting new residents, due to a scarcity of skilled workforce, social services, and housing.
Alongside Thorsten Kohlisch, Laura Varisco, Marc Pattinson and Arnault Morisson from the Policy Learning Platform, seven excellent peers participated in the peer review:
- Pirjo Kutinlahti, City of Rovaniemi, Finland
- Katariina Ala-Rämi University of Oulu, Finland
- Börje Wichert, Duisburg Innovation, Germany
- Torsten Mehlhorn, Innovation Campus Electronics and Microsensors, Germany
- Tim Berndt, Business Initiative Lausitz, Germany
- Paz Palacio, SEKUENS, Spain
- Sara Bianchi, Southern Sparsely Populated Areas Network, Spain
The peers shared their experience and contributed to provide tailored policy recommendations for ways of tackling Jämtland-Härjedalen policy challenges and provided with valuable insights, know-how, and practical suggestions.
It was my first time as a peer, and my first time in Jämtland-Härjedalen, so I’ve learnt a lot and, surprisingly, I’ve also learnt a lot about my own region. It was a real enrichment for me and I am very glad to meet very interesting people. I am very thankful for the excellent talk we had and I hope to see you again.
Tim Berndt, Business Initiative Lausitz, Germany
The starting point for future policy developments is the need for a regional global vision that can drive a roadmap built on the local identity and the engagement of all relevant local stakeholders and right holders.
The region also needs to make sure that this roadmap is well communicated to the different main targets and that it overarches all the other strategies for the green transition and circular models.
Communication is also essential to improve the regional attractiveness for people, workers and investors, using simple, adapted and authentic messages (“Be wise, Go north, Come Home”).
Another important recommendation was to benefit from interregional collaboration on different levels: working closely with neighbouring regions, explore interregional complementarities, also in terms of skills and human capital and leverage on European networks, initiatives, and calls.
Finally, to broaden the perspectives of regional industrial value chains, strong innovation capacities and technologies, intermediaries and business facilitators are needed, alongside the availability of funding programmes.
The host’s policy challenges, and the detailed peer suggestions can be found in the follow-up report that will be published soon.
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