Strategy
In each leader area, there is a development strategy that forms the basis for development in the area. The strategy describes what needs to be done to increase employment, create new businesses, and how the area can become more competitive.
Our strategy
Idériket Umeåregionen 2030's local development strategy shows what needs and opportunities exist in our area. Nearly 300 people from the non-profit, private, and public sectors have been involved in shaping the strategy. Our strategy focuses on four goals that will contribute to making our rural areas even more attractive.
Our goals
Projects that are granted support from Leader Idériket Umeåregionen 2030 should contribute to one or more of these goals. In this way, they also contribute to a more sustainable society.
Strengthen and develop attractive places, habitats and natural environments
With this goal, we want to enable the added values that our natural and cultural environments create to be utilized and made accessible to more people. For both residents and visitors. Coastal and river landscapes are highlighted as strengths, and our urban-adjacent nature creates opportunities for developed nature tourism. This goal also enables locally anchored solutions that can contribute to new service opportunities and improved communications. These are areas that are important for an attractive living environment.
Proximity to the city and increased digitalization mean that more and more people see the opportunity to live in the countryside. The SWOT analysis highlights this as an opportunity that can, in the long run, reduce the threat posed by demographics in the form of an aging population. Creating an attractive place for all target groups is also a challenge. This goal requires that perspectives such as inclusion, learning, diversity, and gender equality are active parts of the process. The benefits of realizing the goal are many: with communities that offer higher quality of life and social existence for more and more people.
By investing in attractive living environments, improved services, and sustainable growth, goal 1 contributes to the EU's overall goal of improving the socioeconomic structure in rural areas. It also contributes to the specific goal of promoting employment and growth. Goal 1 also contributes to the regional tourism strategy as well as Umeåregionen's rural development strategy. Specifically, the focus areas Building and Living, Tourism, and Attractiveness and Attitudes.
By working towards goal 1, we contribute to the following parts of Region Västerbotten's development strategy:
- Goal: A vibrant place 2030
- Directions: A cohesive place, Equal and gender-equal inclusion
- Long-term priorities: A region with sustainable living environments to live, work, and thrive in
By working towards goal 1, we contribute to the following of the global sustainability goals Agenda 2030:
Strengthen and develop an innovative business community
By strengthening entrepreneurship and building on the human, creative, and innovative power that exists in our area, we want to enable investments where the non-profit, private, and public sectors collaborate. This is to drive new ideas and solutions that leverage the area's strengths and promote sustainable business development.
Our SWOT shows opportunities in that the interest for locally produced goods is increasing. With this goal, we want to create conditions for more local products and services that strengthen the local community and contribute to increased sustainability. Here, investments in place-based creators are very close. These are an important part of the new economy, where cultural and creative industries and social entrepreneurship are included.
Goal 2 contributes to the EU's agricultural fund's general goal of improving the socioeconomic structure in rural areas. Also, the specific goal of promoting employment, growth, gender equality, social inclusion, and local development in rural areas, including the bioeconomy and sustainable forestry. Goal 2 is also in line with the regional food strategy, the regional innovation strategy, and Umeå region's joint rural strategy focusing on the local business area.
By working towards goal 2, we contribute to the following parts of Region Västerbotten's development strategy:
- Goal: A vibrant place 2030, A circular place 2030
- Directions: A cohesive place, Pioneer in transition
- Long-term priorities: A region with place-based sustainable business development, A region rich in competencies, An innovative and smart region
By working towards goal 2, we contribute to the following of the global sustainability goals Agenda 2030:
Strengthen and develop civil society and the idea-based sector
In our area, there is a well-developed association life, active study associations that contribute valuable popular education, and an engaged sports movement. Engaged people in our area are both a strength and an opportunity. Our SWOT highlights that voluntary forces are concerned about the generational shift when the replenishment in the form of youth and new engaged individuals is perceived as too weak. In our dialogue with young people, it becomes clear that there is a great interest in getting involved within this target group. They highlight the desire for more activities and gathering places, as well as a willingness to engage in the development of society and in inclusion and LGBTQ issues.[9]
With this goal, we want to meet and take advantage of the engagement in the association life and promote social sustainability by creating space for even more active individuals. Through diversity and inclusion, civil society and our rural areas can be strengthened. Idériket Umeåregionen 2030 therefore needs to create good conditions for actors in the non-profit sector to seek and conduct leader projects.
Goal 3 contributes to the EU's specific goals of promoting employment, growth, gender equality, social inclusion, and local development in rural areas. In Umeå region's joint rural strategy, this area is highlighted under the sections Culture and Leisure as well as Attractiveness and Locally Led Development.
By working towards goal 3, we contribute to the following parts of Region Västerbotten's development strategy:
- Goal: A vibrant place 2030
- Directions: A cohesive place, Equal and gender-equal inclusion
- Long-term priorities: A region with sustainable living environments to live, work, and thrive in, An innovative and smart region, A region rich in competencies
By working towards goal 3, we contribute to the following of the global sustainability goals Agenda 2030:
[9] Based on Idériket Umeåregion's digital youth survey answered by 87 people under 25
Support and promote sustainable transition and circularity
Climate change is a serious threat to the development opportunities of rural areas. Extreme weather, warm winters, and other climate effects can impact the tourism industry, reindeer husbandry, agriculture, and living conditions in our area even more. Therefore, we want to contribute to reduced climate impact and the development of climate-adapted solutions with this goal. We want associations, entrepreneurs, and organizations to invest in becoming more socially, ecologically, and economically sustainable. This requires more than new ideas and innovations: it requires a transition of the ways we have done things in the past. It can involve designing new transport solutions, manufacturing methods, and energy solutions. It can also be villages that collaboratively develop so-called smart rural strategies to create creative solutions to local challenges.
With goal 4, we focus on concepts such as knowledge building, innovation, and transition that are central to the global sustainability goals Agenda 2030. We also strengthen the regional innovation strategy and the direction of the regional development strategy regarding Västerbotten as a pioneer in the transition to a circular society. Goal 4 also contributes to the EU's overarching goal of promoting innovation and digitalization in rural areas, as well as Umeåregion's rural strategy through the focus areas Local business, Infrastructure, and Locally led development.
By working towards goal 4, we contribute to the following parts of Region Västerbotten's development strategy:
- Goal: A vibrant place 2030, A circular place
- Directions: A cohesive place, Pioneer in transition
- Long-term priorities: An innovative and smart region, A readily accessible region, A region rich in competencies
By working towards goal 4, we contribute to the following of the global sustainability goals Agenda 2030:
Our areas of focus
The projects must also fit under one of the strategy's four intervention areas. Idériket Umeåregion 2030 does not invest in unsustainable ideas, so sustainability needs to permeate everything. Therefore, intervention area 4 specifically concerns ideas that primarily contribute to reducing climate impact.
Sustainable and attractive living environments
- Contribute to new tourist destinations as well as restored or developed tourist destinations
- Contribute to restoring natural and cultural environments
- Contribute to new leisure and cultural activities
- Contribute to new housing solutions
- Contribute to new service solutions
Here we welcome projects that want to develop and organize activities in a sustainable way.
The hope is that long-term leisure and cultural activities are created in our villages and made available to more target groups. Activities aimed at young people where young people themselves are involved in the projects are particularly desirable.
More and new housing solutions must be provided for the living environments in rural areas to become accessible to more. Within this intervention area, we welcome collaborative projects aimed at finding solutions for more people to settle in our rural areas. Basic commercial services are of great importance for the attractiveness of places. Here, villages can serve as testing grounds for new solutions.
This intervention area also includes projects where the unique values of the countryside are utilized and highlighted in new smart ways. This can involve investments in strategic communication, place development, or the development of ambassadorships with the goal of showcasing the positive and attractive aspects of living and working in rural areas.
Sustainable and innovative business development
- Contribute to developing the economy in rural areas
- Contribute to growth and employment in rural areas
- Contribute to new businesses
- Contribute to new services
- Contribute to new products
In our area, the demand for locally produced products and services is greater than the supply. Within this focus area, projects that contribute to creating more locally produced products and services through increased processing of resources from agriculture, hunting and fishing are therefore welcomed.
There is also great potential in creating stories about locally produced products that uplift the local community. Through strengthened processing industries and new sales channels, there are several community benefits to be gained in the form of reduced climate impact, vulnerability, and decreased transportation.
Projects that promote the development of social entrepreneurship and cultural and creative industries are also welcomed. These forms of entrepreneurship contribute to innovation and development with a focus on social benefit and culture.
Collaboration with public and private business promotion actors is particularly encouraged here, as well as the creation of networks, meeting places and collective solutions for development and growth.
Sustainable civil society and idea-driven sector
- Contribute to new meeting places
- Contribute to projects driven by youth
- Contribute to educational opportunities
- Contribute to new collaborations and networks
Some of the strengths found within the nonprofit sector are community, genuine commitment, and a direct impact on the local community.
In our rural areas, the population is often homogeneous, which can create a sense of security for those living here but can also make it difficult for newcomers to take space. Through inclusion and critical norm work, engagement can be broadened and new perspectives added, which contributes to a more sustainable engagement over time. This can involve creating meeting places, educational initiatives, integration projects for newcomers, or new long-term collaborations and networks.
In this area of intervention, we welcome projects that are actively driven by or involve young people and/or other underrepresented groups.
The knowledge available at universities and other higher education institutions regarding civil society and local development is important to utilize. Primary and secondary education for young people and adults is also an important source of knowledge in this context. This can involve collaboration through follow-up research, degree theses or educational initiatives, as well as research and development projects that involve active participation from both parties.
Training in project work, project management, leadership for non-profit associations, knowledge of the world around us and similar courses are encouraged within this area of focus.
Innovative and sustainable rural areas
- Contribute to organizations implementing measures for reduced climate impact
- Contribute to smart transitions of the economy in rural areas
- Contribute to environmental/climate-related achievements through investments in rural areas
- Contribute to new solutions to environmental and climate problems
Climate change is one of the greatest threats in the future. In our rural areas, there are many idea bearers who can contribute to a sustainable transition, which this area of intervention welcomes.
These can be companies, associations or organizations that want to become more socially, ecologically and economically sustainable through new modes of transport, energy solutions, manufacturing methods, etc. It can also involve behavioral change projects, circular solutions or sharing services to save resources.
The area of intervention should promote projects that contribute to connected rural areas that utilize the opportunities of digital technology in various ways. This can involve coworking solutions, social innovations in collaboration with universities and other knowledge-intensive actors, breaking digital isolation, or other projects that contribute to sustainable lifestyles.
This also includes strategies for Smart Rural Areas, where villages work together to develop sustainable and creative solutions to local challenges, often using innovation and digital technology. Smart rural areas are based on a clear bottom-up perspective where local residents take control of the future of their village. Universities have an important role to play in this.
