New study will examine Nordic competitiveness
The study, Analysis of Competitiveness in a Nordic Perspective, will provide a data‑driven overview of how the Nordic economies perform on core competitiveness parameters, including innovation, entrepreneurship, access to capital, digitalisation, administrative and regulatory impacts, energy costs, and economic resilience. It will benchmark the Nordics against both European and global peers to understand where the region stands today and where gaps or strengths are most pronounced.
Upholding Nordic competitiveness is essential to safeguarding the Nordic region’s long‑term prosperity, sustaining its innovative capacity, and preserving the social model that underpins high living standards.The aim of this report is to set the stage for a robust policy dialogue on how the Nordics can remain globally competitive, pursue an ambitious green transition, and uphold social cohesion.
The project takes inspiration from the agenda set out in the 2024 Draghi Report on Europe’s future competitiveness, which highlights the major pressures facing Europe: intensifying global competition, rapid technological change, the demands of the green and digital transitions, and the need for economic security and resilience. In this context, the Nordic study examines how the long‑standing Nordic combination of high productivity, openness, social cohesion, and ambitious climate goals compares with broader European trends. It also explores how the region can contribute to Europe’s wider competitiveness agenda by showcasing Nordic approaches and best‑practice examples across sectors.
The Draghi report has fundamentally reframed the debate on European competitiveness, pointing to a growing productivity gap with the United States. But it is not obvious that the Nordic economies fit neatly into that narrative. The region combines high labour market participation, strong innovation capacity, and open economies in ways that are relatively unique. A key question for this project is therefore how the Nordic model performs in the new global competitive landscape – and which elements of it may remain sources of strength going forward.”
The final report will be published in September.
