New project tackles Arctic talent shortage – cross-border collaboration in the Nordic North

“The green transition in northern Europe depends not only on technology and investment, but also on people choosing to live and work in the region. Projects like TalentNorth are important because they bring together universities, municipalities and regional actors to strengthen the long-term attractiveness of the Arctic as a place to build careers and communities,” says Keith Larson, Director of the Arctic Centre at Umeå University.

TalentNorth is a collaboration between the Arctic Six, municipalities and regional public agencies in the Nordic Arctic. The project aims to strengthen talent attraction and retention by connecting education, labour-market needs, and regional development across borders.

The green transition in northern Europe depends not only on technology and investment, but also on people choosing to live and work in the region.

Across the Nordic Arctic, expanding industries and public services are creating growing demand for skilled workers, while many communities face stagnant or declining populations. This growing mismatch between labour demand and population trends risks slowing the region’s long-term development. While initiatives exist to address parts of this issue, a fragmented approach often limits their impact.

TalentNorth addresses this challenge by developing a shared cross-border approach to talent attraction and retention. The project will bring together universities, municipalities and regional agencies to develop joint educational initiatives, training activities and communication efforts.

From competition to cooperation in the Arctic

Current solutions are often fragmented. Cities, universities and countries compete instead of collaborating, which weakens the Arctic’s overall attractiveness. TalentNorth aims to address this by creating shared knowledge, by strengthening cooperation across borders and by promoting a common message about life and work in the Arctic. The goal is to build a long-term system where municipalities and employers work together across national borders.

The project is the result of collaboration between The Arctic Six, an organisation comprised of six universities in Arctic Norway, Sweden and Finland, some municipalities within the Arctic Urban Regional Cooperation (AURC), and the Arctic Mayors’ Forum, under the umbrella of Arctic Six Extended.

“The Arctic Six is in itself a product of the insight that we are stronger together, and the network we have built over the years with stakeholders in the Arctic region within Arctic Six Extended has furthered the identification of joint challenges and need for long-term cross-border collaboration on Arctic issues. My position as Arctic Six Chair provided me the opportunity to take on the task to coordinate the consortium”, says Charlotta Söderberg, Arctic Six Chair, Project Lead Partner (EU) of TalentNorth, and Associate Professor in Political Science at Luleå University of Technology.

Testing new ways to attract and retain talent

“Through our Arctic Six Chair and collaboration with municipalities and employers, the project allows us to connect education, mobility, and labour market needs across borders, in line with Norway’s High North priorities. TalentNorth gives us a concrete platform to turn research and education into practical solutions for sustainable development in the Arctic”, says Roberto Rivas Hermann, Arctic Six Chair, Project Lead Partner (Norway) of TalentNorth and Professor of Innovation and Sustainable Organisation at Nord University.

By strengthening cooperation across borders, the partners aim to develop and test new approaches to talent attraction in the Nordic Arctic. The ambition is that these experiences will help regional actors work together more effectively to meet the region’s growing demand for skilled labour.