Abstract: Research and innovation are the primary corner stones in efforts to strengthen economic competitiveness in an ever more globalised economy. This study states that the small Nordic nations face fierce challenges within research and innovation, and recommends that Nordic research cooperation be strengthened. The study points out that NORIA (Nordic Research and Innovation Area) could be strengthened at little cost by selective mutual opening of national R & D programs. Finally it is analysed what could happen to Nordic states' interests under a number of different circumstances, specifically a strong/weak ERA (European Research Area) in combination with a strong/weak NORIA. The study concludes that a strong implementation of NORIA would in all cases produce the best position for Nordic actors. The study is compiled for the Nordic Council of Ministers by Technopolis, which has been aided by a reference group with representatives from the Nordic Research Board (NordForsk), Nordic Innovation Centre, Nordic Energy Research and the Nordic Council of Ministers. This study is part of a series of four studies, bearing the common title "The Nordic Region as a Winner in the Global Innovation Economy", singling out policy areas, which are relevant for the Nordic countries in the light of globalisation and increased pressures on national economic competitiveness

Cross-cutting analytical chapters explore the emergence and positioning of foresight, approaches and methods, organisational issues, policy transfer and evaluation.

This study is mapping the most significant challenges and obstacles for a reinforced Nordic cooperation on data resources. Focus is put on existing national databases and registers established mainly for administrative purposes but also the question of newly-generated scientific data is handled. The challenges are analysed from political, legal, ethical, organisational, technical and financial perspectives. The broad scope targets primarily policy makers involved in eScience development on national and/or Nordic level. Involved parties in the study are Nordic Council of Ministers, NordForsk, Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture and CSC - IT Center for Science. Special focus has been put on the challenges for register-based research, since all the Nordic countries have a vast amount of population-based registers which are considered not to be used to their full potential in various research fields. One of the challenges is to find way to combine these registers with other research data and the Nordic countries have to find their own way of unique collaboration methods, since there are no equivalent pre-conditions for this kind of research in the rest of Europe. The study also gives a national overview of the current progress in the five Nordic countries, to raise awareness of important national initiatives which can contribute to a stronger collaboration on the Nordic level.

Volume 1 (A and B) covers international organizations throughout the world, comprising their aims, activities and events.

This open access book presents the foundations of the Big Data research and innovation ecosystem and the associated enablers that facilitate delivering value from data for business and society. It provides insights into the key elements for research and innovation, technical architectures, business models, skills, and best practices to support the creation of data-driven solutions and organizations. The book is a compilation of selected high-quality chapters covering best practices, technologies, experiences, and practical recommendations on research and innovation for big data. The contributions are grouped into four parts: · Part I: Ecosystem Elements of Big Data Value focuses on establishing the big data value ecosystem using a holistic approach to make it attractive and valuable to all stakeholders. · Part II: Research and Innovation Elements of Big Data Value details the key technical and capability challenges to be addressed for delivering big data value. · Part III: Business, Policy, and Societal Elements of Big Data Value investigates the need to make more efficient use of big data and understanding that data is an asset that has significant potential for the economy and society. · Part IV: Emerging Elements of Big Data Value explores the critical elements to maximizing the future potential of big data value. Overall, readers are provided with insights which can support them in creating data-driven solutions, organizations, and productive data ecosystems. The material represents the results of a collective effort undertaken by the European data community as part of the Big Data Value Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the European Commission and the Big Data Value Association (BDVA) to boost data-driven digital transformation.