THE FOURTH NORTHERN RESEARCH FORUM THE FOUR The Fourth Open Assembly of the Northern Research Forum (NRF) “The Borderless North”, which took place in Oulu and Tornio in Finland, and Haparanda and Luleå in Sweden in October 2006, had a wide range of northern stakeholders, including community leaders, regional and national T policymakers, heads of state, civil society activists, business people, members of the research H NOR community and university students. Based on the main theme “Tech-knowledgy in Economies and Cultures”, a wide spectrum of relevant subject matter was covered during the sessions in dynamic T HER discussions and dialogues among the participants. These discussions focused on cross-cutting themes, interdisciplinarity, policy-oriented discourses and analytical dialogues and thereby, confirmed N R a number of existing ideas and procedures as well creating innovative approaches and concepts. ESEARCH FORUM One of the outcomes of this NRF meeting is this publication, which consists of 25 articles based on the background papers and presentations of the meeting. Its content is organized under the following themes, which were broadly discussed in the meeting, “Tech-knowledgy and its Application”, “Borders, Barriers and Borderlands”, “Legal Challenges in the North” and “Gender, Citizenship and : The Borderless North Human Security”. The B ISBN 978-951-42-8820-3 North orderless THE FOURTH NORTHERN RESEARCH FORUM The Fourth Open Assembly of the Northern Research Forum (NRF) “The Borderless North”, which took place in Oulu and Tornio in Finland, and Haparanda and Luleå in Sweden in October 2006, had a wide range of northern stakeholders, including community leaders, regional and national policymakers, heads of state, civil society activists, business people, members of the research community and university students. Based on the main theme “Tech-knowledgy in Economies and Cultures”, a wide spectrum of relevant subject matter was covered during the sessions in dynamic discussions and dialogues among the participants. These discussions focused on cross-cutting themes, interdisciplinarity, policy-oriented discourses and analytical dialogues and thereby, confirmed a number of existing ideas and procedures as well creating innovative approaches and concepts. One of the outcomes of this NRF meeting is this publication, which consists of 25 articles based on the background papers and presentations of the meeting. Its content is organized under the following themes, which were broadly discussed in the meeting, “Tech-knowledgy and its Application”, “Borders, Barriers and Borderlands”, “Legal Challenges in the North” and “Gender, Citizenship and Human Security”. IS The Borderless North Publication of the Fourth Northern Research Forum The Borderless North The Fourth Northern Research Forum Editors: Lassi Heininen Kari Laine Layout: Embla Eir Oddsdóttir Henna-Riikka Manelius Publishers: The Thule Institute, University of Oulu Northern Research Forum © 2008 Northern Research Forum Cover design: Hannele Heikkilä-Tuomaala See the Fourth NRF Proceedings (on-line version): http://www.nrf.is/Publications/publications.html Orders: The Northern Research Forum Secretariat Nordurslod, IS-600 Akureyri, Iceland Tel:+354 460 8980; Fax: +354 460 8989 Email: [email protected]; Web site: www.nrf.is Printed in Ouluprint Oy Oulu 2008 ISBN 978-951-42-8820-3 Foreword The Fourth NRF Open Meeting “The Borderless North” Foreword The main theme of the 4th NRF Open Meeting was potential for both global high-level research and local ‘Tech-know-ledgy in Economies and Culture’. This utilisation of it. As an example of this, the green chem- theme calls for dialogue crossing borders of science istry aims to renew and diversify the exploitation of disciplines and society sectors. It challenges us to think natural resources by developing alternative sustain- about the impact and realization of the technology able technologies. Developing this kind of technolo- knowledge on economies, energy-policies and cultures gies fits well to northern areas where natural resourc- – in other words on the issues, which are important to es are rich, but these technologies can be researched people’s everyday life. In our region, Bothnian Arch- and implemented all over the world as well. This coastal zone area on the both sides of Bothnian Bay and means that the level of science skills should be high broader Baltic Region are important regions involved enough to compete at the highest level in the world. in this borderless tech-knowledgy. Moreover, the theme of the forum challenges us to figure the borders Secondly collaboration is a way to borderless science and barriers of science and technology, and to think society. There are well-functioning networks in the about the borderless of north as a phenomenon itself. arctic area like University of Arctic and its thematic networks. We have good achievements in cooperation There are four Viewpoints from Science to Borderless between research groups like Arctic Climate Impact North. First there are no borders in the science world. Assessment (ACIA) and Arctic Human Development There is neither local playground nor state borders in Report (AHDR). These kind of concrete projects are high-level research. Research work is done in interna- good examples of effective cooperation. The key issue tional fields, where results are published in interna- is to be concrete. Everybody should benefit of the co- tional journals and conferences and working groups operation and there should not be semipermeability are multinational. However it is important to get ben- between actors which would cause inequality when efits to our own region too. The achievements of re- sharing the benefits. To get other sectors of the soci- search and science should be used both for educating ety to join and cooperate in research and development good researchers to the world of science but also at requires open-mindedness from all parties. There the same time there should be ways to integrate these are business opportunities related to northern envi- achievements to support regional special needs. The ronmental problems and creating a business out of University of Oulu has managed this well. For instance it might be one of the tools in solving the problems. technology and know-how developed here in Oulu is used in processing the data obtained in the Mars Ex- Thirdly the opportunities of science and technology are press spacecraft and in developing catalytic convert- both unlimited and limited. In future global changes ers in Korea, but also in the processes of local industry. and increase of the use of natural resources create the greatest threat for the northern environment and cul- All of the focus areas of our university: ICT, Biotech- tures, affecting health and welfare as well as social nology and Northern and Environment Issues have and economical relations and challenging sustainable Foreword development of the area. Fragile northern areas are in decisions. Everyone doesn’t need to become an engineer the key position when researching and monitoring the or scientist but sufficient understanding on functions of climate change. Due to the fragility of northern nature nature and society has to be part of all-round education. global and environmental changes and impacts of pol- lution are visible and researchable in northern areas. And finally even if there are well-functioning research These changes and preventing them still needs the at- networks in the North, definite financial instrument for tention of the whole science society. But do we really them is lacking. Together with the research units oper- understand what is going on – everybody does not. ating in northern areas the University of Oulu is estab- Public discussion on the Global changes, especially lishing a project, which aims to develop the Northern global climate warming, is a good example on this. Research Platform. A central object of development of Researching new phenomena and applications of sci- the northern platform will be the social and environ- ence and technology are an endless field of work in mental innovation community that complements tech- the research of global change and change mitigation. nology platforms and operates as a part of the possi- However, utilisation of results is limited because of ble Northern Dimension Forum. Ecologically efficient factors beyond science world’s control. Decision-mak- exploitation of natural resources, native population ers should recognize and also act according to recent and peripheries require, in addition to technical and research findings. In Europe the industry has taken financial expertise, also strong knowledge in environ- the responsibility of environmental protection by mental and social issues as well as entrepreneurship. launching an objective of using best available tech- The platform will work as a central tool in the imple- nologies and practices. Hopefully also in other parts of mentation of research and innovation related to the the world an industrial evolution takes long steps to- Northern Dimension. The aim is to define concrete wards this direction and cleaner technology would be research plan based on the relevant issues together directly used instead of repeating all the phases and with science community and other actors in the north. mistakes of the technological development. Brave de- cisions and wise politics would support this progress. The future content of the Northern Dimension under- In addition to best available practices we need also taking is in process in the European Union. Our opin- best available knowledge and the skills and ability to ion is that concrete substance for this forthcoming un- understand it. We have to educate generations having dertaking could be joint research projects and student skills to pick up and understand facts of natural laws exchange. Researching the northern areas is not possi- and functions of society instead of having only pure ble only by integrating these themes to other general media literacy. We have to be concerned of the skills research themes, but they have to be studied in their young people have in mathematics and natural sciences own programmes and with targeted financing.