The post-crisis recovery of the Baltic Sea Region has been surprisingly rapid, even if the general turmoil in the Eurozone and elsewhere undermines the economic outlook of the region.

That is one of the main conclusions of the State of the Region Report, published by the Nordic Council of Ministers along with the European Investment Bank and the Baltic Development Forum.

This annual report takes the economic temperature of Northern Europe. And even if things are rough, the outlook is not as bleak as one might have feared, it states.

One of the reasons for the relatively swift recovery is the strong regional cooperation, according to the lead author of the report, Christian Ketels from Harvard Business School.

- It is not going to work to sit around and wait for a magic solution from Brussels, because that will not happen. The region must find ways to grow through its own efforts, as it has done in the past through strong leadership and collaboration across borders, says Ketels, who praises the role of the Nordic Council of Ministers in fostering networks and promoting open and innovative partnerships in the region.

The interview with Ketels took place on October 25th at the stand of the Nordic Council of Ministers at the BDF Summit 2011 in Gdansk, where the Baltic Development Forum held its 13th Summit alongside the EU Commissions second annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

Michael Funch
Phone +45 33960332
Email mifu@norden.org