Finland's former science minister unveils plans for Nordic research area
Gustav Björkstrand, the former science minister of Finland, has published his blueprint for Noria, the Nordic research and innovation area, due to be launched in 2005. In the first draft of a proposed white paper, Mr Björkstrand outlines his vision for a joint Nordic council for research and innovation. The council's primary role would be to act as coordinators for collaborative research being carried out by Nordic and other partners, rather than acting as a major new source of research funding. Mr Björkstrand believes that this would allow national research councils or companies to invest in projects where they see potential benefits, while the Nordic council assumes responsibility for promoting and coordinating collaborative research. 'I think the time is ripe for this,' Mr Björkstrand said in an interview with Research Nordic. 'We should be able to press ahead of the European Research Area in areas where Europe is not united. We should also be able to cooperate with other parts of the world and not just shut ourselves inside the ERA.' Aside from promoting international collaboration, other main objectives for Noria will be PhD training, the establishment of Nordic centres of excellence, stimulating investment in infrastructure, and the promotion of knowledge transfer within the region. Instead of a single Nordic council for research and innovation, some analysts had hoped to see plans for two separate agencies. They argued that as research and innovation are often funded through different channels at national level, combining them at Nordic level could create difficulties. Others felt that a joint council would be too large. In order to allay such concerns, Mr Björkstrand's draft white paper proposes that two years after the establishment of the Nordic council for research and innovation, an assessment will be made as to whether or not the agency should be split in two. Mr Björkstrand's proposals will now be discussed by politicians and senior research administrators throughout the region, before being forwarded to the Nordic council of ministers in October in an attempt to reach a political consensus on the plans.
Kraje
Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden