Smart specialization

In order to work strategically within the county's development areas while safeguarding the nature-based industries, we are based on a "smart specialization strategy" which is a guiding tool for prioritizing new ideas and projects. It is also used to create a more efficient basis for distributing public funds that support innovation development in the county. This work is not about building new institutions that will deliver innovations, but about flexibly supporting the development directions that are made possible by innovations and cross-border collaboration.

The backbone of Norrbotten's economy consists of mining, the steel industry, the forestry industry and hydropower. These industries drive the economy forward and account for half of our GDP. In addition to these industries, there are areas that we want to develop and strengthen in the coming years. These include cultural and creative industries, the tourism industry, energy technology, Arctic testing and space technology.

When we work with smart specialization, we primarily use two different working methods. The first is that we stimulate companies to develop by distributing resources and contacts when companies, organizations or universities seek funds for a specific purpose to implement a smart specialization strategy. The second is that we helps other actors take the next step in their development.

You can read the Smart Specialization Strategy here.