How can we improve strategies of development in Nordland, Västerbotten and Österbotten? The Botnia Atlantica Institute is set up to look for and find new answers to this question. We look for new ideas through comparative research, discussions and reflections. Comparisons usually results in the identification of similarities and differences. Sometimes, differences may explain better performance or a "good practice" in one country. However, the identification of a "good practice" in one country does not neccessarily lead to new solutions in other countries. Good practices have a history. They are supported by networks of institutions and regulations which may be hard to transfer directly. In order to inform regional developers and policy-markers in Norway and Sweden, a good practice in Finland have to be seen in the context where it appeared. The core ideas and mechanisms explaining success has to be discovered. Then we may discuss how it can be "translated" into Swedish and Norwegian contexts. 

The BA-Institute blog is set up in order to facilitate these translations. The interventions you find here are approved by the activity leaders of the LUBAT project. They will include results of our research, ideas, and on-ging discussions. As a visitor to our homepage, you are invited to participate in these discussions through your comments. In order to find relevant interventions, you might use the "search" function of our homepage, or go through the pages of this blog.