Programme

Draft Programme 17 March 2026

12.00-13.00 REGISTRATION AND LUNCH 

INTRODUCTION AND THE LARGER PERSPECTIVE

13.00–13.05 Introduction, Moderator Björn Hasselgren, Swedish Transport Administration 

13.05–13.10 Welcome to the Forum, Roberto Maiorana, Director General and Helena Eriksson, Regional Director Northern Region, Swedish Transport administration

13.10–13.15 Introduction of Programme

13.15–13.20 Welcome to Luleå/Norrbotten, Carina Sammeli, Mayor, municipality of Luleå

13.20–13.40 Transport and mobility in Europe – new challenges ahead, Martin Zeitler, Adviser ScanMed corridor and Jan Steinkohl, Adviser North Sea Baltic corridor, European Commission DG-MOVE 

13.40-13.50 SHORT BREAK

INTENSED NORDIC COOPERATION

"The ambition of Platform North is to be an umbrella cooperation for exchange of information, to enhance a system perspective, and to coordinate and collaborate efforts for development, as there are several initiatives on-going within the Northern Nordics."

13.50-14.20 Ministers’ statement and panel discussion
Kari Wihlman, Director General, Finnish transport infrastructure agency
Jacob Vorren, State secretary,  Ministry of Transport, Norway
Sweden (tbc)

PLATFORM NORTH

14.20-14.40 Information about Platform North, Helena Eriksson, Regional Director Northern Region, Swedish Transport administration

14.40-14.55 Platform North Memorandum of understanding (MoU) SIGNING
Declare Platform North MoU signing from driving parts (National governmental authorities, Regional governmental authorities, Politically driven regions, Business representative organisations)

14.55 COFFEE / Press conference

15.30-16.00 Prioritized measures in Platform North
Joint transport plan, Jussi Huotari Economic development centre of Lapland
Financing, Henric Fuchs Region Västernorrland
Information platform, Tor-Einar Schøning, The Norwegian Public Roads Administration

ARCTIC PERSPECTIVE

16.00–16.40 Arctic policy (tbc)

16.40–17.00 Arctic test arena - Strengthening Nordic Cooperation and Resilient Railways, Ann Kristin Bjerknes, Project Leader, Arctic Test Arena – Ofotbanen and Malmbanan, Norwegian Railway Directorate

19:00 MINGEL

19.30-22.00 CONFERENCE DINNER

Draft Programme 18 March 2026

08.15-12.00 COMPETITIVENESS, PREPAREDNESS AND INDUSTRIAL GREEN TRANSITION

08-15-08.30  Reflections from day 1, Björn Hasselgren, Moderator

Civil and military preparedness

08.30–08.50 Transport infrastructure for military mobility. P-O Norell, Lieutenant colonel, Swedish armed forces   

08.50–09.10 Transport strategy for preparedness, Hannu Hakkarainen, Manager, Civil Preparedness, Finnish Transport and Communciations Agency 

09.10-09.20 SHORT BREAK

Business life development

09.20–09.40 European rail gauge in Finland, Kaisa Kuukasjärvi, Ministry of Transport and Communications in Finland

09.40–10.00 Nordic example of industrial needs road and rail

10.00–10.30 COFFEE

Energy in transport

10.30–10.50 Energy in relation to transport hubs, David Daniels, Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)

Funding

10.50–11.20 Funding and financing, Claus Eberhard, European Investment Bank (EIB) 

Reflection

11.20–11.50 Reflections - panel discussion of future collaboration
Sweden: Jonny Lundin, Regional councillor of Västernorrland
Finland: (tbc)
Norway: (tbc)

11.50 ROTATION FROM SWEDEN OF PLATFORM NORTH CHAIRSHIP TO NORWAY

12.00 Closure remarks from the present Swedish and new Norwegian Chairs

12.00 LUNCH