As the world edged out of the COVID-19 pandemic, international organisations, financial institutions and business representatives have urged world leaders to ensure a recovery process that will lead to a greener and more sustainable global economy. Such a ‘green recovery’ can be an opportunity to accelerate the shift from carbon-intensive industrial structures and processes towards more sustainable, environmentally-friendly solutions. The transition shall not only put an end to the depletion of natural resources, biodiversity loss and climate change induced hazards, it shall also contribute to achieving social and economic goals laid down in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This transition process has been termed ‘green industrialisation’ or ‘green industrial revolution’.

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Northern Sweden experiences a development boom of renewable-powered industries, with plans underway for large-scale fossil-free steel production and existing factories producing fossil-free fertiliser and aviation biofuel. Over the next two decades, up to 100,000 jobs are planned to be created in this sparsely populated region. These activities form the centrepiece of Sweden’s 2045 net-zero carbon pledge and the country’s ambitions to become a front-runner in the quest for a fossil-free economy.

Against this backdrop, the ESPON seminar in Lulea on 14-15 June 2023 in cooperation with the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union will focus on the “Territorial perspective of the ongoing green industrialisation”. The transition process entails various development opportunities and challenges that the region and municipalities need to deal with. The attraction and retention of skilled workforce is as relevant as the provision of attractive housing, services of general interest and the management of land use conflicts, to mention just some of the topics that will be addressed. The ESPON seminar will be an opportunity to learn about experiences made already with green industrialisation, also in other parts of Europe, and to exchange on good practices. Local, regional and national stakeholders as well as researchers will actively contribute to the event and have the possibility to network.

The different contributions to the ESPON seminar will feed into a policy paper that the ESPON EGTC compiles in cooperation with Nordregio on the “Territorial perspective of green industrialisation”.  While focusing on the northern Swedish regions of Västerbotten and Norrbotten, the policy paper will be of universal character relevant for all regions in Europe, who are on their transition path to a greener economy.

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