The conditions of the hinterland were raised at a dialogue meeting in Arvidsjaur

The work on Norrbotten's next strategy for smart specialization was the focus when stakeholders gathered in Arvidsjaur for a dialogue about the county's future development. The challenges and opportunities of the hinterland were highlighted as important perspectives. - The important thing going forward is concrete initiatives that strengthen smaller towns, says Malin Ekblom, head of business in the municipality of Arvidsjaur.

On June 4, a dialogue meeting was held in Arvidsjaur as part of the work to collect input for the strategy. The dialogue highlighted the conditions in inland municipalities, where the business sector is often broad but where many companies have difficulty achieving profitability. At the same time, there is a clear desire to develop and grow, but support systems for innovation are often perceived to be geographically far away. The need for more accessible and flexible support structures was therefore clear.

Arctic testbeds were highlighted as one of the county's strengths, with potential to be developed and used in more areas. At the same time, there is a need for stronger connections between academia and business, especially to reach small and micro enterprises and contribute to skills supply and practical development.

“Strength is our diversity”

During the dialogue, Lotta Lestander, CEO of Argentis, emphasized the importance of both seeing the big picture and taking advantage of local conditions:

– Norrbotten's strength lies in our diversity. To succeed with smart specialization, the strategy needs to both point out a common direction and at the same time take advantage of the local strengths that make each municipality unique. That's how we build a strong and competitive Norrbotten.

Several possible areas of development were discussed, including food – from cultivation to processing – as well as transport and logistics. At the same time, it was emphasized that there are already established areas of strength to build on, and that the entire county needs to be given the opportunity to contribute to development.

Long-term cooperation

The discussions also highlighted the importance of the strategy having an impact in practice. Malin Ekblom, head of business in Arvidsjaur Municipality, emphasized:

– What is important going forward is not only the direction of the strategy, but how it is translated into concrete initiatives that strengthen the ability of smaller towns to grow and be attractive places to live and work.

The dialogue also highlighted the importance of attractive communities and the role of business in civil society. To strengthen the future of Norrbotten, long-term work on entrepreneurship is needed, where school is an important part of early arousing interest in entrepreneurship. Education and taking advantage of the expertise available in the county were also highlighted as central.

Text and image: Carola Medelid