On 4–5 March, NordForsk hosted a kick-off meeting in Stockholm for the Green Transition initiative, where Nordic Energy Research is one of the funding partners. Bringing together around 60 researchers and committee representatives, the event successfully launched ten Nordic-Baltic projects focused on energy efficiency in the food systems, on climate and gender perspectives, and on democratic engagement and citizen-involvement in the energy transition.

Senior Adviser Aiko Nakano Hylander, who administers the initiative from Nordic Energy Research’s side, participated in the kick-off.

“The meeting was a great opportunity for all the funded project consortia and call committee members to get to know each other and to discuss possible synergies in common issues, such as Nordic-Baltic added value, impact and stakeholder involvement. It also provided a valuable networking space for knowledge-exchange among early career researchers,” says Nakano Hylander.

All participants of the Green Transition kick-off meeting gathered in Stockholm.

A green transition driven by Nordic-Baltic research cooperation

In addition to launching the research projects, the kick-off meeting was about creating synergies, strengthening Nordic-Baltic collaboration, and ensuring that our collective efforts truly drive impact. Bjørnar Solhaug Komissar, Special Adviser at NordForsk and responsible for the Green Transition initiative, elaborates on the importance of this cooperation.

“While the projects have only just started, the meeting clearly demonstrated the added value of cross-border research collaboration in our region. This initiative also shows how the Nordic Council of Ministers, Nordic Energy Research and NordForsk, together with our national research funding partners, can play a key role in facilitating a knowledge and research driven green transition on critical areas such as energy-efficiency and democratic participation”, says Solhaug Komissar.

Bjørnar Solhaug Komissar, Special Adviser at NordForsk.

Key takeaways from the event

During the kick-off, the discussions among the participants resulted in a number insights:

  • Open dialogue is essential – projects should actively communicate and collaborate to maximise impact.
  • Coordination is key – stakeholder engagement, particularly municipalities, is more effective when approached collectively rather than by individual projects.
  • Inclusivity matters – ensuring that Baltic states are fully integrated in discussions is crucial.
  • Engaging key stakeholders in Sápmi – rather than assuming their needs, researchers can present their initiatives and ask how they want to be involved.
  • Strengthening social stakeholder involvement – Sámi parliaments and other key actors should be invited to contribute to the discussion.
  • Political and industrial support is needed for a transition towards carbon-neutral self-sufficiency in food production in the Nordic-Baltic region.

With this collaborative meeting behind us, Nordic Energy Research looks forward to following the progress of all projects in their diverse but joined efforts toward a green transition.