Future
We live off the beaten path. Not much of what happens in Scandinavia is picked up on the radar screens of media in the major markets around the world.
Our melodious languages are small on a global scale. We have few multicultural urban landscape, few historically significant universities or major research institutions.
In contrast to the languages of predominant cultures, we have had to turn our gaze outward in our curiosity and quest for knowledge. We have given and taken without loss of reputation. Immigration and emigration have contributed to changes in our nations, and pushed new development; given us new impulses and ways of thinking. Thus, because we are open for new things, global companies use us as test markets for new products and services.
Our egalitarian society, our individualism and our location on the periphery have proven to be fertile ground for creativity and innovation. Scandinavian culture characterised by teamwork and respect for the individual is a recipe for progress.
We have a long history in research and inventions that have changed the world for the better, and we continue to contribute in many areas, in recent years particularly in the fields of energy and environmental technology.
Interest is growing in the world around us for the existing knowledge on social policies and development found in Scandinavia. This includes social solutions that have been chiselled out down through the years, with peaceful compromises and the ability to avoid chaos. This knowledge is both a prerequisite for – as well as a result of – the communities we have created.
The things we are good at now are the things that will become even more in demand in the future. We are located outside the main road, but yet right in the centre.