Interreg Aurora

Programme Thematic Objectives

• A smarter Europe – innovative and smart economic transformation

  RSO 1.1 Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies

  • Strengthening the development around R&D

  • Examples of possible activities:
    • Cooperation between research institutes, higher education
    institutes, businesses and/or public sector to create cross-border
    knowledge networks enhancing the green and digital transitions
    • Usage of shared regional research infrastructures through crossborder cooperation to enhance the uptake of advanced
    technologies and the development of innovative products,
    services, and methods as well as new business models and
    opportunities
    • Cooperation between research institutes, higher education
    institutes, businesses and/or public sector to strengthen the
    exploitation of applied research in SMEs and/or public sector
    • Development of arenas, programmes, tools, and methods for
    supporting technology transfer, soft knowledge and cooperation
    between enterprises, research centres and higher education
    sector
    • Stimulation to create a critical mass in the region that can reach
    out to EU programmes such as Horizon Europe

  RSO 1.3 Enhancing sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs and job creation in SMEs, including by productive investments

  • • Strengthening of enterprises knowledge and capacity for the integration of diversity, gender equality, circular economy, and sustainable solutions in their business models.
    • Promotion of entrepreneurship in the region's businesses under-represented groups.
    • Strengthening company clusters including micro-enterprises by cross-sectoral networking and
    integrating value chains
    • Increasing the level of digitalisation in manufacturing SMEs
    • Support of diversification of the business structure in Sápmi

  • Examples of possible activities:
    • B2B cooperation strengthening the uptake and use of technologies and advanced systems related to e.g., robotics, IoT, open data, cyber security, 3D-printing, data-analytics
    • Knowledge building activities and advice increasing the preparedness of SMEs to internationalize and grow
    • Activities linking companies based on complementarity competencies to enhance the innovation capacity and/or the formation of cross-border value chains
    • Cross-border cooperation between clusters adding complementary competencies
    • Cross-border cooperation between start-up hubs and business accelerators and virtual incubators adding complementary competencies

• A greener, low-carbon Europe

  RSO 2.4 Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention and resilience, taking into account eco-system based approaches

  • • Exchange of experience and find out and work together with common challenges and solutions, expertise and information on climate change, impacts, adaptation, and resilience.
    • Support for methods for, and testing of use of new technologies and digital tools such as drones, virtual and augmented reality sensors, artificial intelligence, big data, and Internet of Things especially for the monitoring and surveillance of the effects of climate change.
    . Develop networking, knowledge exchange and cross-border cooperation to ensure a well functioning region and increase accessibility of hinterland

  • Examples of possible activities:
    • Awareness raising and communication about climate change in
    the programme region, since the northernmost parts of Europe
    will be more severely affected by climate change. The crossborder added value of these activities comes from the fact that
    the climate and environment are joint responsibilities and joint
    resources. In addition to this the Aurora region is so sparsely
    populated that coordination and cooperation of resources are
    necessary to achieve results.
    • Designing, adapting methods and methodologies
    • Experience exchange and learning as result of joint
    implementation
    • Exchange of best practises
    • Development of climate adaptation strategies and plans, risk,
    and vulnerability analyses
    • Increased cooperation between research and locally based
    monitoring
    • Implementation of technologies, digital solutions, tools to cope
    with climate change and reduce climate impact and carbon
    emission
    • Involvement and engagement of local and regional stakeholders
    in policy work, decision-making processes (on national and
    regional level)
    • Nature based solutions such as restoration of e.g., wetlands,
    peatlands, mires, rivers

  RSO 2.7 Biodiversity and green infrastructure

  • • Reduction of air, river and water courses pollution
    • Protection against changes in the vegetation and invasives species

  • Examples of possible activities:
    • Data collection, surveys, inventory
    • Analysis, scenarios, plans
    • Designing and adapting methods
    • Joint plans and strategies
    • Knowledge and best practice building and exchange, joint implementation
    • Harmonisation of working methods, guidelines
    • Development of joint sustainable management strategies
    • Restoration, conservation, and increased connectivity
    • Methods for including stakeholders with traditional knowledge in nature management and decision-making

  RSO 2.8 Urban mobility

  • Reduce the Aurora region’s carbon footprint through smart multimodal mobility, alternative fuels and electrification solutions.

  • Examples of possible activities:
    • Cross-border analysis, simulations, and surveys on CO2 reduction measures and modal shifts
    • Green and multimodal cross-border mobility roadmap development
    • Plans, drawings, and designs for green and smart mobility solutions
    • Coordination of smart mobility plans and transport services for cross border functional regions.
    • Planning and implementation of digital solutions and processes for decreased CO2 emissions.
    • Small scale pilot actions enabling lower CO2 emissions transport systems, electrification solutions, renewable fuel solutions, more efficient vehicles etc.
    • Experience exchange activities as joint seminars, study visits, surveys, and trainings

• A more social Europe implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights

  RSO 4.2 Improving equal access education, training and lifelong

  • • Increase the level of education of the workforce, develop the entrepreneurial mind-set
    • Increase capabilities, competence, and skills for a changing working life, as well as upskilling up unemployed individuals with competence
    • Diversify competences and business structures to provide jobs, especially for the young Sami population in the Sami area
    • Transfer knowledge within Sami businesses and livelihood that is linked to the traditional Sami livelihood

  • Examples of possible activities:
    • Diversifying, updating, or harmonising the different types of
    training provision and qualifications
    • Benchmarking and improving services and methods of career
    counselling
    • Joint efforts in the event of rapid changes in the labour market
    • Encourage companies, workers, and educational institutions to
    participate in lifelong learning
    • Common efforts to attract a diversity of labour to choose the
    region as a place to work, study and live in
    • Developing new or transforming previous training to virtual
    format
    • Develop cross-border education and training supporting
    entrepreneurship and business skills
    • Language nests / baths

  RSO 4.6 Enhancing the role of culture and sustainable tourism

  • • Promotion of the Sami cultural heritage
    • Prevent loss of traditional knowledge
    • Enhance and broaden cooperation across borders regarding cultural heritage
    • Develop cross-border sustainable tourism concepts while at the same time respecting and promoting cultural heritage and involving and engaging local stakeholders and citizens

  • Examples of possible activities:
    - cross-border collaboration, partnerships, knowledge exchange and
    joint solution and competence-enhancing initiatives
    - joint cross-border products, services, and marketing
    - joint cross-border accessibility and mobility solutions
    - cross-border activities to reinforce the resilience and diversification
    of tourism and culture sectors
    - SMEs cross-border activities, which will strengthen social
    enterprises and social innovation
    - Diversification of the tourism sub-sectors
    - Cross-border activities, which are contributing to the livelihoods of
    local and regional communities
    - RDI cross-border collaboration in tourism and culture sector
    development
    - Cultural clusters that contribute to the development of creative
    industries
    • Strengthen the development of cultural tourism by making
    available and / or visible the culture and cultural heritages
    • Develop culture and creative industries through refined or
    new cross-border products, methods, services, and networks
    • Development of nature-based tourism by enhancing common
    and cross-border solutions

• A better cooperation governance

  RSO 6.6 Other actions to support better cooperation governance

  • Enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders to implement territorial cooperation projects and initiatives in a cross-border, transnational, maritime and interregional context

    •To build both a common understanding and shared strategies for the further sustainable development in the region.
    • Increasing trust and capacity building in the region are also crucial essentials for good collaboration, as well as the alleviation of cross- border obstacles.
    • Strengthening Sami institutions and to build their capacity, and a need for activities to strengthen Sami governing institutions and tackle obstacles that hinder cross-border cooperation in Sápmi.

  • Examples of possible activities:
    • Cross-border strategies that strengthen regional capacity
    • Feasibility studies for large cross-border regional investments
    • Joint connectivity studies and strategies
    • Action plans
    • Cross-border governance projects for better regional
    functionality and enhancing capacity
    • Initiatives on identifying and eliminating legal and
    administrative obstacles and implementing recommendations of
    these initiatives
    • Clustering participation and find synergies within the Arctic
    Cooperation, by cooperation with ongoing projects in other
    Arctic Cooperation programmes.
    • Data and statistics related to the regions and Sami groups
    • Long term statistical solutions
    • People to people projects in trust building
    • Institutional capacity building