About Platform North
Norway, Sweden and Finland are now establishing a cross-border cooperation called Platform North.
The background for the cooperation is common transport interests in Northern Norway, Northern Sweden and Northern Finland. The motivation behind the initiative is threefold:
- industrial investments in the north
- the green transition
- increased focus on military mobility
Goals
- support the development and expansion of the transport system to facilitate business establishment and expansion, enhancing Europe's competitiveness and independence.
- support the development of climate neutrality in terms of infrastructure and transport.
- support stakeholders to achieve a shared overview, understanding, and information.
- create a platform where different actors can collectively address issues critical to meeting the increasing demand for transport and military mobility in Northern Europe, as part of the Nordic transport network.
- support key stakeholders to plan their activities early, both individually and collectively.
- strengthen collaboration between various stakeholders.
Purpose
- ensure proper alignment of infrastructure with the needs of customers, transport companies, and the defense sector.
- reduce barriers to accessing capacity, thereby ensuring seamless operation of international transport connections across borders.
- address key areas such as funding opportunities, forecasts, and future projections.
Collaboration Areas
On May 15, 2024, transport authorities met in Luleå, where the three most prioritized areas were developed:
- joint transport plan for Northern Nordics
- financing (funding opportunities and coordinated applications)
- information platform
The work was formally started in the spring of 2024. Platform North is a collaboration between the transport administrations in all three countries.
Platform North aims to optimise the exchange of information and strengthen the system perspective, in addition to being a collaborative platform for development work and coordination of planning strategies.
The purpose of the initiative is to create a regional cross-border cooperation forum. The most important stakeholders are infrastructure managers for all modes of transport, in collaboration with other stakeholders, for the desired development.