BackNews from Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic
Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic programme supports cooperation between remote and sparsely populated communities in the northernmost part of Europe on matters of shared interest.
University of Helsinki creates a tool to support municipal decisions in South-Savo
A new tool helps public sector employees make informed decisions for a more sustainable and digital future.
Interreg Northen Periphery and Arctic funded INNOCAP project, or ‘Building public sector innovation capacity’, aims to provide enhanced quality and sustainable public services by enabling public sector organisations to lead the adoption of disruptive innovations and digital technologies.
Public sector organisations in the Northen Periphery and Arctic area acknowledge the importance of introducing innovations to meet the increasing demand from their communities to get quality and sustainable services.
However, these areas are in a disadvantageous position due to the challenges such as the increasing demand of an ageing population, the unit cost of service provision to small and diminishing populations over large distances and the skills gap in the shift to digital solutions.
Feedback received from public sector staff states that an effective way to overcome these challenges could be to specify, select and implement quick win initiatives by testing disruptive innovations that address repeating problems in public sector service areas.
INNOCAP addresses these challenges by enabling public sector organisations to pilot the adoption of disruptive innovations and digital technologies.
INNOCAP project partner Anni Tuomaala from Ruralia-Institute of University of Helsinki shared that their pilot project will give municipalities in South-Savo, Finland, detailed, location-based information about the current status and future opportunities for digital and green improvements in the region.
Regional Differences Shape Decarbonisation Efforts Across Northen Periphery and Arctic Countries
As the Northern Periphery and Arctic regions work towards achieving carbon neutrality, a major challenge is dealing with the substantial regional variations in energy consumption, climate, and renewable resources.
As we work towards a greener Europe, one big challenge is managing the differences in energy use, climate, and renewable resources across regions.
In the Northern Periphery and Arctic, diverse climates and energy profiles offer unique opportunities for innovative, localised solutions.
Countries like Norway, Iceland, and Sweden already significantly rely on renewable energy sources such as hydropower and geothermal energy. These nations have a head start in transitioning to low-carbon economies, but the focus remains on improving their renewable energy infrastructure to meet long-term goals. “This means developing local hybrid and flexible renewable energy solutions used for heating needs buildings, reducing rising energy infrastructure costs and supporting energy security needs” – says project manager Bjarne Lindeløv, from Nordland Research Institute (Norway).
The success of efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the NPA depends on engaging citizens and promoting behavioural change. “A key idea behind Hybes project is that to reach our energy and climate goals; we need citizen engagement and changes in how people behave toward reducing carbon emissions. Technology alone is not enough” says Lindeløv,
Read more about how HYBES project partners approach stakeholders and strategy, to move towards the next step of flexible energy.
Related content
New funding opportunities at Swedish Institute
26 February 2026
Baltic energy resilience in the face of Russian invasion of Ukraine
26 February 2026
Save the Date: BSSSC Day of Cities and Regions 2026 in Tallinn
28 January 2026