Nordic Cooperation on Security and Preparedness
ProTromsø and Umeå municipality, through the joint project Team Nordic Arctic together with BusinessOulu, gathered in Umeå to discuss safety, security, and defense in the Nordic region.
Kristian
- 13. March 2025
With total defense, emergency preparedness, and the challanges and oppotunities linked to increased military presence high on the agenda, the meeting reflected issues that are just as pressing in Northern Sweden as they are in Northern Norway and Northern Finland.
We were kindly welcomed by Deputy Mayor of Umeå Janet Ågren, along with Magnus Hansson, emergency director of Västerbotten, Annelie Holgersson, emergency response officer in Region Västerbotten, and Camilla Adolfsson, head of the security unit in Umeå municipality. Together, they provided valuable insights into how Umeå and Västerbotten County are working to strengthen security and preparedness at the local and regional level.
The program continued with a visit to FOI – the Swedish Defence Research Agency in Umeå, a government body under the Ministry of Defence. FOI is one of Europe’s leading institutes for defense and security research, and in Umeå it hosts a state-of-the-art CBRNE Center (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives). The center plays a crucial role in research, training, and development for the Swedish Armed Forces, and gave the delegation a closer look at how advanced knowledge and infrastructure support total defense in practice.
The visit was also linked to the Pax Nordica conference at Umeå University, where Kristoffer Karlsen, security and preparedness advisor at Tromsø municipality, contributed to a panel discussion. His intervention focused on the use of technology and infrastructure in strengthening total defense in Northern Norway, underlining the shared challenges and opportunities across the Nordic region.
Thanks to our Swedish and Finnish friends for important conversations on our joint security in the Nordic Arctic.
The Team Nordic Arctic is a project funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Arktis 2030. The goal of the project, led by ProTromsø, is to strengthen the North Nordic region through business collaborations. The project aims to enhance the cooperation between Norway, Sweden and Finland in the Arctic by applying Norwegian know-how on Arctic society, business, and knowledge.
The overall goal of the project is enhanced Nordic cooperation in the High North in difficult times. We aim to strengthen the Arctic communities in the Nordic countries through sustainable business development, recruitment of youth talents and the inclusion of indigenous people and minorities. One of the main work packages includes Arctic Business Matchmaking in each of the three partnering countries, held in Oulu, Finland, Umeå, Sweden and Tromsø, Norway.
If you wish to hear more about participating in the project or in the B2B matchmakings, please contact project manager Julie-Helene D. Sørensen at julie@protromso.com
