In Focus
Åland's government open for major offshore wind projects
“Åland must be an active climate and sustainability player and for us it is natural to exploit the wind as a resource. We don’t really have much else,” says Camilla Gunell, Minister for Infrastructure and Climate of the government that wants to open up for large-scale offshore wind power in Åland’s waters.
In Norway, fire extinguishers have entered the circular economy
Each year, millions of fire extinguishers that could have been reused are thrown out. At “Slåkkefabrikken” outdated extinguishers get a new lease of life. The circular economy is one of the tools used to reach climate goals. Still, the Nordic countries are lagging behind the rest of Europe.
More investments needed for Norwegian battery production to fuel the green transition
If the three Nordic countries Finland, Sweden and Norway worked together, they could become a major supplier of batteries and fuel the green transition, but professor Odne Stokke Burhei believes this requires a much greater willingness to invest than we have seen so far.
Five years left for Nordics to reach aim of being world’s greenest region
For five years, the Nordic Council of Ministers has been working with a vision to make the Nordics “the world’s most sustainable and integrated region”. This work has now reached its halfway point. Only five more years remain before the 2030 deadline.
Urban women in Denmark want to reform agriculture
Women from urban areas make up a majority of students in the Natural Resources bachelor’s programme at Denmark’s largest scientific research and educational institution, KU Science. The female students want to work towards healthier food systems, and job opportunities are good.
Special edition: AFI at 60
The Work Research Institute AFI in Oslo is 60 years old this year. It has been celebrated by a conference which presented some of the projects AFI researchers are currently working on. Sick leave is a hot political potato in Norway, and what is the true impact of working from home? The Nordic Labour Journal was there when State Secretary Per Olav Skurdal Hopsø openede the cionference and we have also interviewed AFI Director Elisabeth Nørgaard.
The joys of WFH versus the pressure of always answering emails
More than half of Norwegian employees have the opportunity to work from home, any time of day or night. But at what price? AFI researchers are looking at how the increased use of home offices impacts the work-life balance.
AFI and Arbeidsliv i Norden: A Nordic view of working life
The Norwegian Work Research Institute AFI turns 60 this year. For 24 of those years, the institute has published Arbeidsliv i Norden (the Nordic Labour Journal) on commission from the Nordic Council of Ministers.
When global supply chains are threatened, reshoring increases
It is better to manufacture closer to your market and pay a higher price than to lose sales and get dissatisfied customers. That is why several Swedish companies have decided to bring production back home.
Did Norway just find the industrial future in Telemark's bedrock?
The Fen Complex in Telemark has something the world needs: Europe’s largest documented deposits of rare earth elements. Now, plans are underway again for mining in one of Norway’s oldest industrial communities.
Do globes have anything to do with globalisation?
Has the world entered a period of deglobalisation? Or are the forces of globalisation so strong that trade continues to grow, only in new ways? When new barriers are erected, what will the consequences be?
Could fewer international students damage Norway’s international standing?
The number of international students in Norway is falling dramatically. Fewer Norwegian students are going abroad and fewer international students are arriving. A loss for Norway, argue educational experts.
Norway doing construction in a more orderly way, but EU temping rules might stop it
When Oslo’s new government quarter is constructed, it is done with workers who have regulated wages and working conditions. This is ensured, among other things, by the controversial hiring ban.
Tight Nordic-Baltic cooperation against work-related crime
Work-related crime is a growing problem that requires cross-border collaboration between state authorities and countries. For several years, a Nordic-Baltic collaboration on work-related crime has been in place. In January 2025, it will be formalised on the initiative of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Denmark cracks down on social dumping and money laundering
Danish authorities have introduced tighter legislation and lawsuits to stop cooperation between gangs and lawyers in cases of money laundering and social dumping.
Coach to Norwegian ski stars: Burnout not worth it
Lage Sofienlund is a successful cross-country skiing coach. While training to be one, he asked himself more than once: “Is being a coach really a career?”
Living his boyhood dream on Faroese football pitches
Mikkel Dahl has played against global stars like Ivan Perisic, he has won the championship, the cup final and holds the record for most league goals. He has done it all with a club he never heard about before he was 27: Havnar Bóltfelag in the Faroe Islands.
Pro footballer: Takes more than playing ball
Santeri Väänänen (22) from Finland is a professional football player for Norwegian Rosenborg BK. Everyday life is pretty much the same regardless of which country you are playing in, he thinks.
The Swedish football club using sports against unemployment and for inclusion
The challenge for sports clubs is to attract those who have not yet become engaged, especially those who need support on their journey toward a healthier life and who want to become more involved in society. It’s about more than just building muscles.
Company sports enjoys high participation levels in Iceland
In most Nordic countries, company sports are overseen by a special federation. In Iceland, it is done by the public sports section at the National Olympic and Sports Association. Participation levels have been good, and the companies see more and more benefits from increasing them.
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