Nordic Innovation aims to speed up the transition to a sustainable future where Nordic citizens benefit from innovative mobility and connectivity solutions.
When we talk about smart mobility and connectivity, we talk about the movement and connections between people, places – both rural and urban, goods and services, information and data. Smart may refer to e.g. sustainability, security or digitalization.
By connecting different actors working with smart mobility and connectivity in the Nordic region, both public and private and across industries, we believe we can develop new businesses and business models, increase innovation and sustainable growth, reduce carbon footprints, ensure accessibility and increase quality of life for citizens living in the Nordic region.
The foundation of our work with mobility and connectivity was laid in the Nordic Smart Mobility and Connectivity program that ran from 2018 to 2021 and has been continued in the Nordic Green Mobility and Smart Connectivity programs (2021–2024).
All activites in the new programs will be collected under this program page.
Nordic Green Mobility (2021–2024)
Nordic companies and joint Nordic innovation projects have a proven track record of generating value and impact within the field of mobility. The Nordic Smart Mobility and Connectivity program (2018-21) has paved the way, created collaboration and innovation, learning, inspiration - and showcase how Nordic co-operation adds value to both individual actors, Nordic business and society as a whole.
This demonstrates that Nordic businesses can achieve more, faster, and they can create greater impact through Nordic co-operation. It is about bringing together different expertise, technology and knowledge, about building on or combining the best from each country and build new "state of the art" mobility solutions.
The program is one of eight initiatives launched by the five Nordic ministers of trade and industry. The initiatives represent a determined advance towards a stronger and more sustainable Nordic region and support the vision for the Nordic region to be the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030.
The aim of the Nordic Green Mobility program is to make the Nordic region leading in green mobility. The Nordic Green Mobility program will contribute to speeding up the transition to sustainable mobility in the Nordics and to changing the way people and goods move through collaborative innovation initiatives. The overall objective of the program is to reduce – and in the long-term perspective eliminate – the negative effects of the mobility systems, including the Nordic maritime sector, while at the same boosting competitiveness. Decarbonizing will play a major role in this.
Read more about the Nordic Green Mobility background
Smart Connectivity (2021–2024)
The aim of the Smart Connectivity program is to facilitate innovation and change within the logistics sector through, inter alia, establishing Nordic data space for data sharing across the Nordic logistics sector, within and across national borders. The objective is to make it easier for Nordic logistics companies to share data with each other and with their subcontractors, in order to optimize operations and contribute to a more climate-efficient and profitable logistics sector.
The program is one of eight initiatives launched by the five Nordic ministers of trade and industry. The initiatives represent a determined advance towards a stronger and more sustainable Nordic region and support the vision for the Nordic region to be the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030.
There are great opportunities in creating a more efficient logistics sector and reduce CO2 emissions through more data sharing and collaboration across the logistics industry. The development of better commercial solutions for coordinating delivery of goods and better capacity utilization can reduce congestion in urban areas and contributing to decarbonizing long-haul transportation.
The Nordic countries will not achieve transformative change by acting alone. A Nordic approach to a sustainable ocean economy will support and contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the 2030 Agenda and work to strengthen the ambitions of EU Green Deal. It will also allow for ecosystem partners to take part in the Horizon Europe missions.
Read more about the Smart Connectivity program
Nordic Smart Mobility and Connectivity (2018–2021)
The Nordic Smart Mobility and Connectivity program was developed based on the priorities of the Nordic ministers of business outlined in the Nordic Co-operation Programme for Business and Innovation Policy 2018-2021.
The program was officially launched by the Nordic ministers for business in May 2018. As we do, they see Nordic cooperation as key to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for the way people and goods move in and between the Nordic countries.
Nordic Innovation allocated NOK 60 million to the first program period, which ran from 2018-2021. The program was built around the following four action areas:
1. Quality of Life Through Mobility and Connectivity – innovative solutions and concepts
In 2018, Nordic Innovation launched a call for project outlines within the field of Nordic smart mobility and connectivity and chose eight promising early stage projects for funding.
2. Clusters as Drivers – connecting know how
In 2018, Nordic Innovation launched a call for project outlines for cluster cooperation projects within the field of Nordic smart mobility and connectivity and funded seven promising early stage projects.
3. Nordic Urban Mobility 2050 – future cities
Mobility systems play an important part in ensuring that our growing urban areas will be liveable smart, and sustainable and we need to start thinking about how to develop them sooner rather than later. To gather Nordic cities and relevant stakeholders to develop new mobility solutions, Nordic Innovation has developed the Nordic Urban Mobility 2050 Futures Game.
4. Sea Meets Land – emerging solutions for ports, people and goods transport
Launched in August 2019, the Nordic Innovation Mobility Mission: Sea Meets Land was an effort to help decarbonize Nordic ports, transport of people and goods – on and between sea and land.
In November 2021, the NOW Ports project was announced as winners of the mobility mission
1. Quality of Life Through Mobility and Connectivity – innovative solutions and concepts
In 2018, Nordic Innovation launched a call for project outlines within the field of Nordic smart mobility and connectivity and chose eight promising early stage projects for funding.
2. Clusters as Drivers – connecting know how
In 2018, Nordic Innovation launched a call for project outlines for cluster cooperation projects within the field of Nordic smart mobility and connectivity and funded seven promising early stage projects.
3. Nordic Urban Mobility 2050 – future cities
Nordic Innovation aims to gather Nordic cities to team up and together develop new mobility solutions. As part of this area we have, for example, developed the Nordic Urban Mobility 2050 Futures Game.
4. Sea Meets Land – emerging solutions for ports, people and goods transport
Launched in August 2019, the Nordic Innovation Mobility Mission: Sea Meets Land is our effort to help decarbonize Nordic ports, transport of people and goods – on and between sea and land.
