At Nordic Innovation, Nina specialises in mobility and transport, serving as Head of Programme for Mobility, with strategy, internationalization and scaling adding to the thematic mix.
“Over the course of my more than seven exciting years at Nordic Innovation, I’ve been responsible for building and developing the mobility field, in terms of strategy, content, networks, and project portfolio. Mobility is about far more than just vehicles and infrastructure,” she explains, adding that mobility encompasses transportation of goods and people, at sea, in the air, and on land, but it’s also about digital systems and technology and the way we interact within and across borders. It is a fundamental structure of our societies and one of the areas in which we will see real transformation happen.
We met with Nina for a talk about her position at Nordic Innovation.
“The Nordics hold a unique position with strong traditions of collaboration and innovation. We have trust between stakeholders, a population open to change, and the ability to rapidly adopt new technologies. This enables us to create solutions that benefit not only the Nordics but the world at large.”
What kind of projects do you enjoy working on?
“I enjoy working on complex projects with significant societal benefits, opening up new opportunities for business. For example, we’re currently working on a project about electric aviation. The project involves connecting technology, climate goals, and new business models in new ways. It’s both innovative and visionary, with the potential to transform how we approach transport.” Another project is aiming for seamless and multimodal cross-border mobility, directly supporting the joint Nordic vision.
A common thread in Nina’s work is the focus on building Nordic collaboration structures, combining short and long-term thinking and driving major systemic change, while creating opportunities for Nordic business.
Collaboration as a competitive advantage
There’s no doubt that Nina is passionate about the society we live in. Before joining Nordic Innovation, she worked in both public and private sectors, including roles at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Save the Children, and Innovation Norway. She also led the Norwegian-British Chamber of Commerce in London, and she has worked with internationalisation and EU policy in Brussels.
“Since 2008, I’ve worked exclusively with business, innovation or at the intersection of politics and business. Throughout my career, international and Nordic collaboration has been a common thread. The ability to collaborate strategically gives our region competitive edge.”
So how did you end up at Nordic Innovation?
“The path felt natural after working with Nordic collaboration and business for many years. Nordic Innovation combines politics and business in a way that delivers tangible results, making it a fantastic platform for driving innovation and change. Innovation is about creating positive change. It’s all about problem-solving and realizing opportunities.”
But why is Nordic collaboration so important?
“I believe Nordic collaboration is the most rational approach we can take to meeting today’s challenges and in making a mark at global level. It’s about leveraging our resources and creating more impact. Each country in the Nordics excels in different areas, but by working together, we strengthen the region as a global player. I wish politicians would invest even more in Nordic collaboration in the innovation field; the potential is enormous. I believe that the Nordics can become world champions in driving innovation through collaboration and demonstrate how regional cooperation can deliver global results.”
She highlights several factors that make the Nordics excel at collaboration.
“In the Nordics, we have a tradition of working together and are often ahead of the curve. At the same time, we are characterised by a high level of trust, which creates a competitive advantage in business. Trust enables openness and quickly get projects off the ground.”, she adds:
“We also have a population that embraces change and is quick to adapt, especially when it comes to trying new technologies and solutions.”
Thriving in a work environment of turning political goals into action
This is also a fast-paced job, with frequent travel days Nina believes that to thrive at Nordic Innovation, you need to enjoy always being on the outlook for new opportunities and ways of doing things, , to be innovative and creative and turn the signals you get from business players and the political level into action - and to accept that when working with innovation it is necessary to accept uncertainty and the need to continuously change and adapt.
“It’s when you work closely with those developing innovations or new solutions that you truly witness change —and that’s exactly what makes an impact”.
