Successfull NORA funded workshop

The municipality of Røst is characterized by its smallness, fishery dependence and peripheral location in the Lofoten region of Northern Norway. These are all characteristics that reflect key elements shared in the West Nordic area. This was one of the reasons why Røst was chosen as a location for the users' workshop, 'The New Nordic Periphery. Municipal Learning Through Local Innovations', which took place on 22-24 September 2004. A similar event is planned to take place in Kiruna May 2005, involving the East Nordic municipalities covered by the last research project run in the network.

Thirty participants from Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway gathered to discuss the innovative capacities of the West Nordic periphery. Municipal leaders, innovators and researchers were offered the possibility of exchanging experiences and ideas, to learn about and develop West Nordic trans-regional networks.

The report 'The Røst Declaration. Dialogue with Actors in the Field after a Research Project' can be downloaded from here, or ordered from the MOST CCPP secretariat. The declarations is written as a supplement to the research report 'Innovations in the Nordic Periphery'. The declaration points to challenges of particular interest, seen from the users? point of view, in stimulating innovative activities in the West Nordic periphery. In particular, participants addressed the relationship between the municipal institution and ?innovation activists?. The declaration is aimed at municipalities and innovators in the Nordic northern periphery, as well as the relevant ministries of all Nordic countries, other important private and governmental organizations and institutions within the field, and research institutions.