GLOW2.0 project participated in Arctic Frontiers 2025 conference

Panelists Discussing Cross-Border Cooperation (from left):
Kirsti Mijnhijmer, Caitriona Strain, Tarja Kupiainen, Davíð Jóhannsson, Stian Larsen, and Lisbeth Nylund. Photo: David Jensen.

Interreg Arctic Program: Cross-Border Cooperation April 28, 2025

At the end of January 2025, the Arctic Frontiers 2025 conference was held in Tromsø. During this event, the European Union's programs focusing on northern regions, The Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) and Interreg Aurora, held a joint session. The purpose of this session was to introduce a new funding model aimed at strengthening the synergy between these programs and promoting cooperation among stakeholders in the Arctic and comparable regions. This funding channel also offers new opportunities for North Karelia and, consequently, for Karelia University of Applied Sciences to build and implement RDI projects that cross both regional and national borders.

Cluster Projects Boosting Arctic Development 

The first keynote speech was given by Carina Sammeli, Chair of the Luleå City Council. As a political actor, Sammeli had experience particularly with Interreg Aurora projects. In her speech, she emphasized the importance of cooperation and continuity in northern regions. According to her, for example, Luleå had more in common with nearby northern municipalities in Norway and Finland than with distant Stockholm or Gothenburg. Northern regions face similar challenges in terms of accessibility and attractiveness. These challenges seem distant when viewed from metropolitan areas, where public transport networks cover the entire region, while northern or other sparsely populated areas are left out.

The session continued with the presentation of a call for cluster projects opened in March, aimed at addressing the unique but often challenging conditions of the Arctic region and promoting regional development in various areas. The goal is to combine the efforts of projects funded by the NPA and Interreg Aurora programs into a clustering project, which aims to enhance matters significant to people living in the Arctic region and to promote the practical implementation of the EU's Arctic policy in communities.

Panel Discussion Emphasized the Importance of Cooperation 

Carina Sammeli's speech and the cluster call served as an excellent introduction to the panel discussion concluding the event. The NPA program and Interreg Aurora secretariat had invited participants to the panel based on their selection of successful projects. One of the invited projects was the GLOW2.0 project coordinated by Karelia University of Applied Sciences, which develops the tourism appeal of the unlit sky in northern regions. The theme of the panel discussion was how we could combine Interreg resources and expertise to achieve the best results in the Arctic.

The panelists reflected on their previous experiences with international and cross-border cooperation and tried to find inspiring ideas for future clustering projects. The discussions focused on industry trends that could benefit from such cooperation. One example was how the themes of light pollution and darkness from the GLOW2.0 project could be well utilized in social and health projects, as darkness has been found to have health and relaxation benefits. On the other hand, new solutions and operating models related to waste management and recycling would be welcome in the tourism industry. The opportunities offered by new technologies are widely beneficial regardless of the industry and activity, as long as we ensure that technology does not become the master instead of the servant.

The panel representatives emphasized the importance of sharing experiences from projects, both successes and failures. It was noted that learning from failed solutions and pilots can often produce the most valuable insights. All panelists agreed that international and cross-border projects achieve more than national projects. Cooperation in the Arctic region and comparable areas is essential, as these remote areas are often overlooked when viewed only from a national perspective.

After the event, participants moved on to coffee and refreshments to continue discussions on potential future cooperation projects. Could it be fruitful to combine the expertise of social and health, tourism, and media actors from Lapland and Eastern Finland universities of applied sciences to promote the attractiveness of our regions?

Panelists:

• Caitriona Strain, European Regions Network for the Application of Communications Technology – ERNACT, Ireland – Experience from previous Arctic cluster projects
• Tarja Kupiainen, Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Finland – Lead Partner Interreg NPA Glow2.0
• Davíð Jóhannsson, Samtök sveitarfélaga á Norðurlandi vestra (Association of Local Authorities in Northwest Iceland) (SSNV), Iceland – Project Partner Interreg NPA Glow2.0
• Stian Larsen, Remiks Miljøpark AS, Norway – Lead Partner Interreg Aurora NOWA project

Moderators:

• Lisbeth Nylund, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Norway
• Kirsti Mijnhijmer, Secretariat of the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic Program, Denmark

Original text: Tarja Kupiainen

This translation was created with help of Microsoft CoPilot. See the original article by Tarja Kupiainen published in Finnish here: https://www.karelia.fi/2025/04/interregin-arktinen-ohjelma-rajat-ylittavaa-yhteistyota/