Nordic co-operation on IT utilises various programmes, projects and initiatives to raise the profile of the Region as a competent, innovative, dynamic and unified market for IT-related products, services and knowledge.

The Nordic countries are world leaders in information technology. According to a study by The Economist Intelligence Unit, the Region is among the best in the world as far as broadband Internet access, IT skills and IT investment are concerned.

This means that the Nordic countries have a solid basis for making better use of IT for development purposes in several areas, and it also constitutes a good starting point for promoting the Nordic Region as an area characterised by top-class IT skills.

Nordic co-operation on eScience

eScience is about global co-operation in key sceintific areas, as well as the next-generation infrastructures that will make them possible.

Nordic co-operation on eScience makes a research dimension possible – it facilitates the testing of theories and models in a virtual environment, with the help of super-computers and ultra-fast data networks.

This infrastructure is an important factor in the maintenance and development of top-level Nordic research.

eScience will play a key role in the development of future scientific methods, and the Nordic countries ought to work more closely together in the longer term in order to maintain and develop Nordic eScience.

Co-operation on eScience is made possible by the Region’s excellent national data networks and high-capacity IT infrastructures.

Nordic strategy for eScience

The Nordic education and research ministers agreed on a Nordic eScience strategy in 2007.

The eScience strategy was drawn up by a working group consisting of representatives from the Nordic bodies responsible for co-operation on the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences and medicine, as well as NordForsk, industry, the Steering Group for Nordic Co-operation on Higher Education (HÖGUT) and the European e-Infrastructure Reflection Group (e-IRG).

NordForsk has funded collaboration on (NORIA net).

In addition to the eScience co-operation, organisations likeNORDUnet (Nordic Infrastructure for Research and Education) and Nordic DataGrid Facility (NDGF) also attest to the fact that the Nordic countries are capable of acheiving more together than alone.

Study of knowledge infrastructure

eScience is central to a current study of the potential for a knowledge infrastructure that supports freedom of movement and knowledge in the Baltic Sea Region.

A study has been commissioned by the Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Education and Research (ÄK-U) to look at the potential for collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region on eScience-related research and education activities, high-capacity networks, databases and grid infrastructure.

The study will therefore also assess opportunities for collaboration between the Nordic countries and North-west Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany.

IT policy forum

In order to embed Nordic IT co-operation at national level, ÄK-U has decided to start an informal IT-policy forum for heads of Nordic civil-service departments, who are responsible for co-ordinating national IT policy on, e.g. experience exchange related to national IT-policy strategies and priorities, as well as specific national initiatives.

IT-policy expert group

The Nordic Council of Ministers for Education and Research (MR-U) has decided to set up an external advisorty IT-policy expert group. The purpose of the group is to propose strategic collaborative ventures.


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