Platform North Forum – well-attended conference for the second year in a row

The conference brought together speakers and participants from all three Nordic countries, as well as from other European nations.
 
Platform North is a collaboration initiative launched by the Swedish Transport Administration in 2024 between the Nordic countries in response to major industrial investments, the green transition, and an increased focus on military mobility in northern Sweden, northern Norway and northern Finland.
 
As with last year’s conference, interest was high, and 160 participants gathered around the theme “Nordic cooperation in the North – transport infrastructure for competitiveness, preparedness and the green industrial transition.”

Memorandom of understanding further strengthening cooperation

The first day of the conference picked up where last year’s event left off and celebrated the Memorandom of understanding that has been developed, further establishing the purpose of Platform North and the cross-border cooperation that has begun. Those signing the declaration commit to actively working to further develop the collaboration in order to create infrastructure that is reliable and capable of meeting both civilian and military needs.
 
– The Memorandom of understanding marks a new phase. We must be able to function in times of peace, crisis and war. The joint work within Platform North is now being formalised between national authorities, regional authorities, politically governed regions and business organisations operating in northern Norway, northern Finland and northern Sweden, says Roberto Maiorana, Director-General of the Swedish Transport Administration.

Interactive map solution with story maps

Another tangible outcome of Platform North’s work was the demonstration at the conference of a newly developed interactive map solution using story maps. The demo showed data collected from measures included in the national plans of the three countries, where each measure is clickable and provides more detailed information.
 
– All three countries have their own national mapping solutions, but creating something together is new and can contribute to cross-border insights and add value to both national and joint infrastructure planning, said Nils Petter Rusånes from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, who has worked on the map solution.

Rotation of the Platform North chairmanship from Sweden to Norway

Since its inception, the Swedish Transport Administration, represented by Regional Director Helena Eriksson, has held the chairmanship of Platform North. Initially, the ambition was simple: to establish a cross-border platform. Over time, Platform North has grown from an idea into a recognised arena for cooperation.
 
– We have brought together authorities, regions and industry. We have built trust. And we have developed a shared understanding of the challenges and interdependencies we face in The Northern Nordics. What I am most proud of is the willingness to cooperate across borders and sectors, even when the issues are complex and interests differ, says Helena Eriksson, Regional Director for the Swedish Transport Administration’s Northern Region.
 
The chairmanship will now pass to Norway, to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and to Ine Hilling, Director of the Transport North department within Transport and Society, who was present and symbolically took over the chair.