Are the Nordic countries on a path to sustainability? What will it take for Nordic businesses to be part of the sustainability transition? What do sustainable business models look like in the Nordics, taking into consideration their role in global value chains? What is the role of digitalisation?
After four productive and rewarding years, the University of Oslo Nordic initiative, the thematic research group Futuring Sustainable Nordic Business Models (Futuring Nordics), is coming to an end, and it is time to reflect and celebrate.
On 14 and 15 December, the research group partners, the research group Sustainability Law (Department of Private Law) and Sustainability Lab (Department of Informatics) are inviting to a final one-and-a-half-day conference with a future workshop, a book launch, academic presentations, a morning panel featuring transdisciplinary projects and a jazz concert.
Speakers from all the Nordic countries, from academia and beyond, will reflect on the present and future of the Nordic (business) model in the transition to a sustainable future.
The conference will be hybrid. The physical locations will be in Oslo with events both at Forskningsparken (main campus) and at downtown campus (Karl Johans gate). Zoom participation will be possible for the main events.
The conference is open to all interested, including students, scholars and practitioners. Registration is required (no registration fee). A programme and registration form will follow shortly.
Programme
Thursday 14 December (Venue: Dept. of Informatics/IFI and Professorboligen)
08:30 Registration at IFI (Forskningsparken, Ole-Johan Dahls hus - room Smalltalk - 1st floor off the main entrance. Address: Gaustadalléen 23B, 0373 Oslo)
Session 1: Future workshop
09:00 Openings remarks:
- Tore Rem, leader of UiO:Nordic and UiO:Democracy
- Jukka Mähönen, leader of Futuring Nordics research group
9:15-11:30: Future workshop
The workshop will be chaired by Andrea Gasparini and Siv Årsand (Dept. of Informatics)
Main theme: Repair
1st phase: Critique
2nd phase: Imaginary phase
3rd phase: How to get there
11:30-12:30 Transport to downtown and registration at Professorboligen
12:30-13:30 Lunch at Professorboligen (Faculty of Law - Address: Karl Johans gt. 47)
Session 2: Futuring Nordic company law
13:30-16:30: Launch of Nordic Company Law: Broadening the Horizon (Scandinavian University Press, 2023), Beate Sjåfjell and Jukka Mähönen (eds)
Short presentation of the book by the editors (15 min)
Pitches by authors, based on their chapters and with some broader reflections and ideas: Gudrun Johnsen, Council on Economic Policies, Karsten Engsig Sørensen, Aarhus University, Hanna Almlöf, Jönköping University, Ville Pönkä, University of Helsinki, Emma Coulthard, DLA Piper Norway, Hanne S. Birkmose, University of Southern Denmark, Eyvindur G. Gunnarsson, University of Iceland, Niklas Arvidsson, Lund University.
Prepared comment by Katja Tikka, University of Helsinki and Asle Aarbakke, BAHR.
Discussion
16:30-18:30: Reception with a jazz duo: Katarina Sjåfjell and Julie Martine Vestrheim, both students at the Norwegian Academy of Music
Friday 15 December (Venue: Professorboligen)
(Professorboligen, Faculty of Law - all day)
Session 3: Futuring Nordic businesses
08:00-08:15: Welcome and introduction
- Beate Sjåfjell, Head of the research group Sustainability Law
- Mette Halskov Hansen, Vice-Rector for Climate & the Environment and Cross-Disciplinarity
08:15-09:15: Transdisciplinary collaboration for change
- Sustainable public procurement: a University of Oslo pilot project.
Participants: Ove Kenneth Nodland, Asle Andre Orseth and Beate Sjåfjell.
- Sustainable banking: a #SMARTlegacy collaborative project with the savings bank Sparebank1 Østlandet.
Participants: Hanna Ahlström, Karoline Bakka Hjertø and Beate Sjåfjell
09:15-09:45: Breakfast
Session 4: Futuring sustainability in the Nordics
09:45-11:00:
- Entanglement of systemic practice and sustainability transitions, Svein Gunnar Kjøde, University of Oslo
- The future of circular economy regulation in the EU and Norway, Eléonore Maitre-Ekern, University of Oslo
General discussion
11:00-11:15: Coffee and tea break
11:15-12:45:
- A Nordic roadmap to corporate sustainability, Jukka Mähönen and Beate Sjåfjell, University of Oslo
- The future of sustainable innovations and their regulation, Taina Pihlajarinne, University of Helsinki
General discussion
Closing of the conference
12:45-13:45: Lunch
Registration
Please register your participation by 4 December for physical participation, and by 13 December for digitally participation.
Contact
Prof. Jukka Mähönen, University of Oslo, Dr. Eléonore Maitre-Ekern, University of Oslo and Prof. Beate Sjåfjell, University of Oslo.