Pilot project for institutionalizing research-end user cooperation in societal security research

The Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law (NIEM) at the Arctic Centre joined in a partnership with Swedish Defence University and the UiT - the Artic University of Norway in an initiative to institutionalize research-end user cooperation in societal security research. The initiative has received funding from the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS). The primary aim of the initiative is to create a focused group in order to identify current needs, challenges and relevant themes in transboundary cooperation. The focused group will include experts and practitioners from the regional, national and local authorities, private sector, and civil society, as well the BSR societal security research network. A few shorter scenario-based exercises will be discussed at the workshops to be organized within the project.

The Institutionalized cooperation will lead to develop an understanding around the following theme:
(1) Building a common societal security culture
(4) Increasing involvement of the local authorities and civil society organizations
(6) Initiating projects as platforms for innovation and cooperation
(7) Utilizing research and project results effectively through better coordination
Relying on theories, methodologies, methods and tools from such different fields as organizational theory, political science, sociology, psychology, law, societal security studies, and engineering, the project aims at presenting and testing different conceptions of security, safety, and cooperation, and thereby developing a structure for a longer-term strategic biennial practices.