About Nordic Innovation
We support the Nordic prime ministers’ vision that the Nordic region will become the most sustainable and integrated region in the world in 2030.
Our work
We work towards the Nordic Vision 2030 through three innovation missions:
- A waste-free Nordic region.
- A pioneering region for green mobility.
- Leading within smart and sustainable growth.
These missions will contribute to fulfil the goals in the eight initiatives for a greener post-COVID-19 business sector 2021-2024, launched by the Nordic ministers for business and innovation in 2020.
Read more about the eight initiatives
Eight programs - new initiatives for 2021-2024
In September 2020, the Nordic ministers for trade and industry launched eight new programs that aim to support sustainable solutions, circular economy, digitalisation, and innovation.
These new initiatives are running from 2021 to 2024. The eight programs were agreed upon by the Nordic ministers for trade and industry. The programs are a result of political initiatives by the Nordic governments, and they cover a wide variety of themes.
The eight programs are:
Previous programs
Previously we supported programs and projects which contributed to fulfilling the goals of the Cooperation Program for Innovation and Business 2018-2021.
Building on strongholds identified by the national innovation and trade promotion organizations—and where the Nordic countries have complementary advantages—Nordic Innovation had developed three programs for the period 2018-2021: Nordic Smart Mobility and Connectivity, Nordic Sustainable Business Transformation and Health, Demography and Quality of Life.
Sustainability and digitalization where cross-cutting dimensions in all three programs. They also integrated the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals with emphasis on making The Nordics a carbon neutral region.
Connection between the programmes:

Our role
Nordic Innovation acts as a catalyst and enabler of Nordic arenas for cooperation and ecosystems.
We believe that the Nordic countries are stronger and can achieve more together. Our shared values and complementing competencies give us a unique starting point for innovation. By bringing, businesses, people and organizations together, we lay the foundation for solutions and innovations that will benefit the inhabitants in the Nordic countries—and the rest of the world.

In addition, we may contribute financially to Nordic projects through various instruments as a means of alleviating risk.
Nordic Innovation engages only in activities where there is Nordic added value. Nordic added value is created when cross-border cooperation between actors generates more value than would be the case by only working nationally. Examples of Nordic added value may be found in generating a strong Nordic internal market, in piloting and rolling-out Nordic wide solutions, in developing or reinforcing common Nordic policies and standards and in improving the international visibility and value of the Nordic brand.
People
Our office is situated in Oslo, Norway, with 20 highly qualified employees from all the Nordic countries and with expertise from different business areas and industries. We are co-located with NordForsk and Nordic Energy Research, which are also organizations under the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The Nordic cooperation
The Nordic Council of Ministers is the official intergovernmental body for cooperation in the Nordic region. The Nordic region comprises Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland, in addition to the self-governing areas of Greenland, the Faroe Islands and the Åland Islands.
Read more about the official Nordic cooperation