Nordic Edge takes on Romania
Did you know that cities can only reduce their emissions by approximately 10–15% without the involvement of citizens and the private sector? That’s why Nordic Edge is engaged in projects across Romania — helping cities like Bucharest, Suceava, and Sinaia take important steps toward climate neutrality.
– We’re involved in two key projects. The first, M100, is a national platform for Romanian cities aiming to become climate neutral. We participate as a project partner and smart city expert. The second, closely related, is a city-to-city collaboration between Suceava and Stavanger, says Bjarne Uldal, CIO at Nordic Edge.
– Most importantly, we act as a matchmaker — initiating and facilitating partnerships between the public sector and private companies. We understand the challenges, we know the best practices, and we are connected to a broad network of innovators and solution providers.
Nordic Edge is a non-profit organisation working closely with private companies, municipalities, academia, and citizens to build smarter and more sustainable cities and communities. In projects like these, we serve as a bridge between those who face challenges and those who can offer solutions.
Matching challenges with solutions
Bjarne and Caroline Townsend, from Nordic Edge, took part in the final event of the M100 project, New Urban Habits, which took place in Bucharest on 26th-27th April. Nordic Edge contributed both on stage and behind the scenes. Bjarne is clear on why such initiatives matter:
– Cities that want to become climate neutral can only reduce emissions by 10–15% on their own. That’s why it’s critical to have projects that connect private businesses with the public sector, he explains.
– This is exactly why we participate — we know how to match the right solutions to the needs of public authorities and how to move innovation projects forward.
Nordic Edge acts as a non-profit intermediary, helping our cluster member companies bring their solutions to new markets across Europe.
A success story
NORO Green Cities is another project linked to EDIH Oceonapolis, where Nordic Edge is a key partner. NORO stands for a Norwegian-Romanian collaboration. Through this project, we’ve facilitated direct meetings between our cluster members and various Romanian cities. This has already resulted in 10 memorandums of understanding (MOUs), with several companies now in direct talks with city representatives about potential exports from Norway to Romania.
The Nordic model
– Nordic Edge aims to be an epicenter for innovation and sustainable solutions for our cluster members in the Nordics, but we should also use our voice as a Nordic cluster to promote the Nordic model in other parts of Europe, says Bjarne.
The Nordic model is founded on trust-based collaboration between sectors and across industries and is key to succeeding with innovation and development.
– We showcase the importance of collaborating across sectors, industries, and technologies, and we also emphasise the need for citizen involvement. Trust is a keyword, and the Nordic model is founded on just that.
About EEA Norway Grants and projects in Eastern Europe
EEA Norway Grants is a funding scheme which Norway, through the EEA agreement, has contributed funds to. The scheme is intended to support projects that provide societal development and is especially aimed at Eastern Europe. The M100 and Suecava + Stavanger projects are supported by EEA Norway Grants.
The projects support cities in Romania that want to become climate neutral. This is done through exchanging knowledge and experience from other cities in Europe that are already climate neutral. In the M100 project, there are 112 climate-neutral cities, and 10 new ones will be "onboarded" through the NORO-project.
