Mission-oriented innovation towards digital and green transitions in the Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) communities

MINDSET’s overall objective is to provide policymakers and other stakeholders from three NPA regions with the innovation capacity (or same conditions) to deal with societal challenges that are otherwise non-existing or only developed at a national and/or EU level.

This objective is pursued by introducing Regional Mission-Oriented Innovation (RegMOI) approaches, which adapt and develop methods and tools to tackle interrelated challenges affecting NPA territories, such as skills development, climate change, and regional housing and public real estate.

The project involves partners from three NPA regions: from Ireland (ERNACT, Donegal County Council), from Sweden (Umeå University, Municipality of Örnsköldsvik), and from Finland (University of Helsinki, Ruralia Institute). Other organisations associated with the project include Atlantic Seaboard North, Akademi Norr, the Municipalities of Juva and Kangasniemi, and the City of Pieksämäki.

MINDSET will:

1. Introduce the novel concept of RegMOI,
2. Test its effectiveness by implementing concrete missions addressing skills development, climate change, and regional housing and public real estate challenges, and
3. Create the conditions necessary to integrate RegMOI as a new innovation method for addressing major societal challenges — one in which local and regional stakeholders are empowered and play a key role in alignment with broader national and EU-level missions.

MINDSET is funded by the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic programme.