The Nordic Council of Ministers commissioned former Nokia CEO Jorma Ollila to conduct a strategic review of how Nordic energy co-operation might develop over the next 5–10 years. On 20 June, he presented his report to the Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Søviknes, chair of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Business, Energy and Regional Policy in 2017, to the public and to Dagfinn Høybråten, the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers

The report Nordic Energy Co-operation Strong today – stronger tomorrow, published yesterday, contains 14 proposals for closer Nordic collaboration. The report is the result of over a year’s work from Ollila on evaluating Nordic energy cooperation.

“Competition in the field of green energy is getting fiercer at an unprecedented rate, and the Nordic countries need to work together to remain at the top, the most important step is to formulate a new vision for the co-operation” – Jorma Ollila

Several of the proposals for increased collaboration focused on research and innovation:

  • Multiply the effect of current Nordic research activities through mapping and streamlining
  • Create a vision for Nordic energy research co-operation,
  • Use Mission Innovation to create and reinforce Nordic positions of strength,
  • Promote Nordic positions of strength by creating a EUR 67 MILLION Nordic research and demonstration programme and
  • Set up a Nordic PhD programme in energy and transform testbeds into new positions of strength

Nordic Energy Research will potentially have a significant role to play if the Nordic governments follow-through on these proposals.

“Nordic Energy Research will take interest in the decisions following from the report. NER is ready to give its contribution towards making Nordic energy cooperation even stronger in the future.”– Hans Jørgen Koch

Information from the Nordic Council of Ministers

Download the energy report here

Video – 5 points of interest from the Ollila report: