Cooperation between the Northern Norwegians counties : the "Swan", the "Pike" and the "Crab"?

Abstract

This is a study of the cooperation between the three counties in Northern Norway, and we aim to identify factors which promote or hinder cooperation between the counties. The closeness to the large opportunities in the Arctic, possible oil and gas developments outside the coast of Lofoten and Vesterålen, and the opening of Barents Sea South-West attract national and international attention towards Northern-Norway. Visible examples of this are the High North Policy, the entry of Statoil, Aker Solutions, the Arctic Council and other significant companies which have established themselves in the region. In the wake of the great opportunities in Northern Norway, it is and has for years been a debate in the media about the relationship between Nordland, Troms and Finnmark County. It is described as constrained, and after Landsdelsutvalget (LU) was discontinued, this picture amplified. Should counties cooperate on the opportunities that are in the North, or should they compete for the resources? We will shed light on these issues through a theoretical foundation which consist of four theories, institutional theory, o-management, CSR theory and coopetition. The theories and methodology will be applied to abstract main tendencies from the collected data. The data consist of in-depth interviews with relevant people from the three counties. In addition, strategic reports, government documents and articles from media are applied to ensure relevance. We suggest that knowledge partnerships, broader industry by industry cooperation between the counties and continua of subsidies from the Central Government will increase Northern Norway’s position and development in the years ahead.