NORA: Bridging connections across the North Atlantic shores

NORA unites remote, coastal communities across the North Atlantic by supporting projects that spark innovation, strengthen local economies, and bring people together. From celebrating young culinary talents to regenerative tourism, NORA strengthens the bond between these regions.

For nearly three decades, NORA (Nordic Atlantic Cooperation) has worked on strengthening the bonds between the North Atlantic’s coastal communities. Representing the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, and coastal Norway, NORA addresses the challenges and opportunities of these Nordic regions.

“The collaboration emerged from the need to support regions defined by their reliance on the sea, remote locations, and small populations. Recognising these shared traits, NORA operates through three key pillars to strengthen the bond; project support, agenda-setting, and alliance-building,” explains Halla Nolsøe Poulsen, director of NORA. Thanks to the focus on building alliances, NORA also has partnerships with similar communities in Scotland, Canada, and the US.

One of the core focuses for NORA is inspiring young people in these remote regions. Recently NORA has supported Artic Young Chef, a competition open to young chefs aged 18 to 30. The event highlights the region’s culinary scene and brings together foodies from Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Norway. “We encouraged the young chefs to innovate while honouring local traditions and showcase Nordic Atlantic flavours. For many, it was also an opportunity to build careers,” smiles Poulsen.

Another inspiring project NORA has initiated is Generation North Atlantic, a gathering where young people from the member countries collaborate, network, and explore ways to address regional challenges. “We showed the participants how start-up projects could involve transforming unused spaces into cultural hubs and creating opportunities for sustainable tourism,” says Poulsen.

NORA follows a four-year strategy that ends this year, and the next strategy is nearly ready. The organisation continues to focus on youth, but they also want to focus on the silver economy, perhaps through mentorship programmes where the older generation can share their wisdom and knowledge with the younger generations. Moreover, they wish to see projects that encourage the use of local resources and for the region to become more self-reliant, reducing import dependency and through that strengthening the economies of the regions.

“In alignment with this, NORA also wishes to focus on regenerative tourism, where visitors leave a positive impact on the places they visit. They leave it a little bit better than they found it,” says Poulsen. NORA is also looking at how artificial intelligence can support and enhance regional development, ensuring the sustainability, innovation, and resilience of these remote Nordic communities.

Web: www.nora.fo