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Text: Sandra Zetterman, Policy Area Education

International cooperation is a prerequisite for sustainable regional development. That was the title of a workshop in connection with the West Sweden EU conference in the Swedish city of Skövde at the end of September.

Anders Bergström from PA Education shared the opportunities available within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea region.

– Complex societal challenges require more cooperation across national borders. We need to gather resources and expertise and work cross-sectoral, locally, regionally, nationally, and transnationally. We need to cooperate in order to get the needed targeted solutions to our societal challenges of today, says Anders Bergström when he describes the core of the EU's macro-regional strategies.

The goal of macro-regional strategies is to engage stakeholders from different sectors and countries in long-term collaborations. The workshop at the ASSAR Industrial Innovation Arena in Skövde attracted officials from municipalities and regions together with some local and regional politicians from West Sweden. Fifteen people get a one-hour crash course in transnational cooperation before they get to try tackling a current problem together using methods used within the Baltic Sea Strategy.

Read more: Policy Area Education: Workshop on transnational cooperation in Sweden

Written by Anders Bergström, Policy Area Education Coordinator

An area with a lot of potential for transnational collaboration

Transnational, cross-sectoral, multi-level collaboration to secure a sustainable energy supply, drive green transition and achieve local growth are key elements in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.

On May 16 some 60 stakeholders from Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden gathered in the Swedish city of Karlskrona to share experiences and discuss collaboration. The seminar was hosted by Euroregion Baltic, Nordic Council of Ministers, Norden Association Sweden and Region Blekinge.

Among participants were representatives from the industry, politicians, national agencies, regional and local authorities. Present were also three Policy Area Coordinators from respective PA Energy, PA Bioeconomy and PA Education. The Swedish National Coordinator also took part in the seminar.

Read more: Seminar on sustainable energy supply in the Baltic Sea Region