"The future is bright"
Regional Councilor Nils-Olov Lindfors, together with Tomas Vedestig, Chairman of the Regional Development Committee, look back on 2020 from a regional development perspective. They also note that we enter 2021 with confidence and many common issues to work on in the future county of Norrbotten.
When we looked ahead to the new year 2020 a year ago, we did so with great confidence and a strong belief in Norrbotten's development. In December 2019, we first learned about The Green Deal, the EU's investment in transition and climate. We then realized that Norrbotten has both challenges and opportunities.
Opportunities and Challenges
The opportunities lie in the Arctic testbeds, which enable those who want to transition to sustainable solutions to test and develop products and services in Norrbotten. This was demonstrated during the international conference Demo North, which was held in the county in February last year.
The challenges lie in the fact that Sweden's large carbon dioxide emissions also occur in the county, linked to the steel industry. Therefore, the EU's investment in a fund that will enable a green transition was welcome. The government has identified the steel industry's value chain as priority one for this fund. This means that large amounts will be allocated to the steel industry's value chain to enable the transition to low-carbon and free production.
The pandemic struck
It was also at the end of the first quarter that the pandemic struck. In addition to the loss of life and strain on the healthcare system, it has also affected the cultural and business world.
One example is the tourism industry, which is so important to the whole of Norrbotten, which has had strong development with several destinations attracting visitors from all over the world. It went from a fully booked situation to a complete standstill.
The new situation meant we needed to think again and again.
Business and culture
As regional development manager, the region has a number of tools to work with. To help companies, we chose to focus on business support and skills-building initiatives in digitalization and sustainability. Thanks to good contacts with municipalities and business organizations, we were able to implement initiatives that benefited the Norrbotten business community. The employees were able to quickly adjust and design the new support and then handle the applications.
The cultural sector has also been hit hard by the pandemic. Many cultural practitioners have been affected when performances have been cancelled or postponed. But here we have also seen creativity and the ability to adapt when the cultural offering became digital. Our own cultural institutions have also adjusted and tried other solutions. To support cultural practitioners, the region has awarded work grants to around sixty practitioners in cultural and creative industries. Together, this has meant that many have been able to take part in culture – and the need for it is great.
Border cooperation
The pandemic also made us think about something we had taken for granted: cross-border cooperation. Being able to move freely and easily cooperate across our national borders was no longer a given. This was experienced by those living along the border river.
Last autumn, the German ambassador visited Norrbotten and was able to learn about what is going on in the green transition. This included a study visit to the Hybrit test facility, which will produce carbon dioxide-free steel. It is a technology that is being developed in Norrbotten and is attracting a lot of attention. EU President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned Hybrit in her “state of the union” speech in the European Parliament. In addition to Hybrit, LKAB launched an investment in environmentally friendly production of sponge iron. An investment that is estimated to amount to 400 billion kronor. In the wake of these investments come exciting opportunities around hydrogen and what it can mean for Norrbotten.
Robinson in Haparanda
The pandemic has also brought opportunities for Norrbotten.
One such was the filming of Expedition: Robinson in the Haparanda archipelago. Another is the leap taken in digitalization. Working remotely, attending meetings without traveling, we will take with us in the future. We believe that this will increase interest in settling in the entire county.
2020 was the year when we saw how the rapid changes in the world around us create new rules of the game and conditions for individuals and society. We write in the regional development strategy for Norrbotten 2030 that the unknown is the new normal.
Polar bread and the Norrbothnia Line
Even though it has been a year of losses for people and industries, we still believe that Norrbotten is standing strong in a crisis. This is largely due to our ability to cooperate. We also saw evidence of this when the Polarbröd factory burned to the ground. The mobilization that has occurred as a result of the fire is strong proof of that.
We are now entering 2021 with the same confidence as we did in 2020. We have many common issues to work on. We want to see an earlier start to construction of the Norrbotten Line and an expanded broadband expansion in Norrbotten. We see that the tourism industry is well equipped to restart once travel starts again. We want to see a cultural life that recovers. We also want to see a return to the previously obvious border cooperation.
Future County
We will continue to work together with other stakeholders to create the best conditions for Norrbotten's development.
Together with the municipalities, we need to focus on attractive living environments. The major investments ahead mean that the supply of skills needs to be ensured. The region, together with the municipalities, needs to focus on attractive living environments for women and men.
Nils-Olov Lindfors, regional councilor, Norrbotten Region
Tomas Vedestig, Chairman of the Regional Development Committee