In November 2019 Nordic Innovation announced a second call for proposals on Nordic Smart Mobility and Connectivity. Due to the current situation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) the deadline of the call was postponed to 23 April.
The purpose of the call is to speed up the transition to a more sustainable, innovative and connected mobile future in the Nordic region, and it covers two topics:
- Seamless, integrated and people-centric mobility
- Sustainable, secure, energy-efficient and decarbonized mobility
Solving challenges through joint action
A lot has changed since the call was published. Nina Egeli, Senior Innovation adviser at Nordic Innovation, thinks that the pandemic has reminded us about the need for collaboration: "There are and will be threats and challenges that affect us all and that can only be solved through joint action. When trust and openness are already in place, collaborative work can be started faster and with more powerful results."
We look to our neighbors for guidance, ideas and collaboration. The Nordic region is our home market, our joint testing ground and breeding ground for new innovations.
– Nina Egeli, Nordic Innovation
The unusual situation has also strengthened our thinking of home. For many, the notion of home stretches beyond our home offices and beyond our local districts and national borders.
"We look to our neighbors for guidance, ideas and collaboration. The Nordic region is our home market, our joint testing ground and breeding ground for new innovations. Nordic Innovation’s role as an enabler of this is now more important than ever because we need to move with speed and force", Egeli says.
Towards sustainable and integrated region
The call for proposals is part of Nordic Innovation's program Nordic Smart Mobility and Connectivity. The aim of the program is to help develop a more sustainable and connected transport system in the Nordic region while generating opportunities for Nordic businesses. The program is one of the efforts with which Nordic Innovation seeks to fulfil the Nordic Prime Ministers’ vision of Nordic region as the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030.
"Today, two years after the launch the program, we know for a fact that when Nordic mobility companies and stakeholders join forces, great projects arise. We are looking for projects that can create Nordic added value, meet joint challenges regarding sustainability and create opportunities and impact for Nordic companies within smart mobility. Transport and mobility must be efficient and well-functioning also in times of crisis", Egeli concludes.
