Futuring Sustainable Nordic Business Models is a new research group, funded by the UiO:Nordic programme. Futuring Nordics is created by researchers of the Department of Private Law of the Faculty of Law and the Department of Informatics of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and is led by Professor Jukka Mähönen of the Law Faculty. Deputy leaders are Dr. Maja van der Velden of the Department of Informatics and Professor Beate Sjåfjell of the Law Faculty.
Futuring Nordics recognises globalisation and digitalisation as crucial challenges for the Nordic countries and the socio-economic order described as the ‘Nordic model’. Especially digitalisation – the increased use, interconnectivity, and networking of information and communication technologies and the data they produce – is affecting all areas of Nordic lives. Rapid progress in the development of hardware and software is moving the Nordics towards a fully digital society.
Can the Nordic countries continue balancing competition and cooperation and maintain their resilience in this age of globalisation and cultural collisions, with a digital economy, fragmentation of the work-life division? What scope do the Nordics have to carve out their own path within European Union law? What role do or can the Nordics play in achieving the global goal of sustainability, understood as securing the social foundation for humanity within planetary boundaries? Also issues concerning Indigenous peoples and their culture has arguably not been integrated sufficiently in the pursuit of sustainability. This is directly relevant for the Nordics, as much of their territory, both on land and at sea, falls within the Arctic Circle. The Nordics are therefore also strongly involved in issues that concern this extremely vulnerable area, including the culture and livelihood of the Indigenous people of the Nordics, the Sámi.
There is a research gap concerning the impact of globalisation and digitalisation on cultural, economic, labour, and regulatory factors of Nordic business models and specially their sustainability. The aim of Futuring Nordics is to contribute to filling this gap through:
- an interdisciplinary analysis of the development of Nordic business models and their transformation in this era of globalisation and digitalisation,
- to understand the opportunities and challenges globalisation, digitalisation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) create for Nordic business models today, and
- to create policies and methods for innovative Nordic business models for sustainability, integrating its cultural, environmental, social and governance dimensions.
The idea of a sustainable Nordic business model is not new. The contribution and added value of Futuring Nordics is an interdisciplinary analysis, forming the basis for developing policies and methods to support Nordic businesses in their transition to sustainable business models. This work will incorporate the transformation of the Nordic model, in light of the challenges of globalisation and digitalisation, and an evidence-based understanding of sustainability.
Kick-off conference
With this backdrop, Futuring Nordics organises its kick-off conference on Friday 15 November at the Faculty of Law of the University of Oslo (downtown campus). Confirmed speakers include Peter Stadius from the ReNEW (Reimagining Norden in an Evolving World) Nordic research hub and Dr. Sarah Cornell from Stockholm Resilience Centre.
The Conference will be open to all interested including scholars, policy-makers, students and practitioners.
About Futuring Nordics
Futuring Nordics is a joint interdisciplinary research group (2019-2021) of the Department of Private Law, Faculty of Law and the Department of Informatics, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Oslo. It is a part of the University of Oslo UiO:Nordic initiative, working in collaboration with ReNEW (Reimagining Norden in an Evolving World) Nordic research hub.The leader of the project is Professor Jukka Mähönen of the Department of Private Law, Faculty of Law, and deputy leaders are Associate Professor Maja van der Velden of the Department of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and Professor Beate Sjåfjell from the Department of Private Law, Faculty of Law.