The regions of the NSPA area (northern parts of Finland, Sweden and Norway) has engaged OECD to do a territorial review in the area. The aim of the report is to identify main trends, challenges and opportunities with related recommendations for the different regions individually and collectively.

OECD representatives are in Northern Sweden in the period 22 to 26 February to get an insight from the key regional stakeholders about the characteristics of the regions with regard to issues such as their competitiveness, accessibility, service provision and human capital and as a part of the study mission is it also arranged a common seminar for all the NSPA regions in Piteå the 25th of February connected also to the Europaforum Northern Sweden that will be held on 25-26 February at the same venue for delegates form the four northernmost regions of Sweden.

When: 08:30-15.30, Thursday 25th of February, Piteå Havsbad
Theme: Demography, service delivery and supply of competence.

Please register your attendance for the event here.

Important information:
The registration link above is only for the event. Travel arrangements and hotel bookings are made by the participants themselves. Costs of hotel, food* and transport are at the participant's own expense.
*Lunch is provided free of charge on Thursday. Possibility to attend the European Forum dinner on Thursday evening at a charge of 50 €.

Accommodation
Pite Havsbad, Hotellvägen 50, 941 43 Piteå, Sweden, Telephone: +46-911 - 327 00
http://www.pite-havsbad.se/en
Reservation code for booking: NSPA OECD
Room availability is guaranteed until 25th of January 2016 with the reservation code.
Approximate price for 1 night is 990 SEK (99 €).

Getting to Pite havsbad
Arrival on Wednesday 24/2. The nearest airport is Luleå airport. SAS and Norwegian airlines have flights every day from Stockholm Arlanda airport to Luleå airport. The second closest airport is Skellefteå airport. From Luleå or Skellefteå airports, you can take a taxi to Pite Havsbad. Taxi can be booked on http://www.flygtaxi.se/en
Travel time by taxi is approx. 45 min from Luleå airport or 1 h from Skellefteå airport. Shared taxi from Luleå Airport to Pite havsbad costs approx. 470 SEK (47 €); Shared taxi from Skellefteå airport costs approx. 1 742 SEK (174 €). Possibility to buy dinner at the hotel.

Audience: Regional stakeholders from Sweden, Norway and Finland, Regional and national governments, parliamentarians, business and labor organisations, businesses, educational and research institutions.

Contact: Hans Nylund, Norrbotten County Council

Joint OECD panel

Demographic Trends and Service Delivery

JOINT OECD PANEL
Demographic Trends and Service Delivery
8:30 Welcome and introduction by the moderator:
José Enrique Garcilazo, Head - Rural Programme, OECD
8:40 David Freshwater, Professor Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Kentucky
9:00 Sverker Lindblad, Senior Adviser, Swedish Ministry of Enterprise
9:15 Stephane Pronovost, Chief of Research, Canada Economic
Development for Quebec Regions
9:30 Comments by Regional representatives;
Erik Bergkvist,Region Västerbotten; Risto Poutainen, Regional Council of North Karelia; Norwegian representative.
9:40 Comments by Marie-Chantal Girard, Vice-President - Policy and Communications, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
9:45 Discussion

10:15 Coffee break

Three Parallel OECD panels

1. Developing skills and attracting competencies to support growth [educational attainment/participation, immigration, skills shortages and increasing workforce participation]
2. Rural service delivery innovation in response to demographic change
[integrated service delivery models, use of technologies and role of private/community in service delivery]
3. Leadership and capacity building to support better governance and decision making
[public sector skills/capabilities, community capacity building, including groups and business in decision making]
10:30 I ntroduction by OECD on the subject for the panel (moderating the panel):
1. Abel Schumann
2. Chris McDonald
3. José Enrique Garcilazo

10:40 Interventions by regional (SE, FI, NO) representatives:
1. Anne Åberg, Akademi Norr; Veikko Seppänen, Martti Ahtisaari Institute; Norwegian representative.
2. Agneta Granström, Norrbotten County Council; Maarit Sireni, University of East Finland; Norwegian representative.
3. Christer Fröjdh, Mid Sweden University; Kristiina Jokelainen, Regional Council of Lapland, Norwegian representative.
11:10 Comments by OECD expert:
1. David Freshwater, University of Kentucky
2. Stephane Pronovost, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Region
3. Marie-Chantal Girard, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
11:20 Discussion
11:50 Wrap-up

12:00 Lunch

PROGRAM NSPA AFTERNOON SESSION;
START-UP SESSION EUROPEAN FORUM NORTHERN SWEDEN

13:00 Welcome words from Maria Stenberg, Chair Norrbotten County
Council, and Erik Bergkvist, Chair Region Västerbotten and
Europaforum Norra Sverige (Swedish/English)
13:10 Regional development in Sparsely Populated Areas (English);
José Enrique Garcilazo, Head - Rural Programme, OECD
13:30 Canadian strategies for regional development, the Quebec case (English); Marie-Chantal Girard, Vice-President - Policy and
Communications, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
13:50 EU perspectives on smart regional growth (English);
Mikel Landabaso, Director Inclusive Growth, Urban and Territorial
Development and Northern Europe, DG Regio, EU Commission
14:10 Conclusions from the morning panels to feed into the panel discussion (English), OECD-representative
14:15 Reflections from a Swedish national perspective (English),Gunilla Nordlöf, Director General, Tillväxtverket (Swedish
Growth Agency)
14:30 Panel discussion with all the speakers (English)
15:20 End of NSPA OECD seminar part with welcome to next NSPA forum (EFNS continues)

More information about the program