What Nordregio does

Nordregio is an international non-profit research institute established in 1997 by the Nordic Council of Ministers to provide research-based knowledge, tools, and insights on regional development and planning across the Nordic, Arctic and Baltic regions. The institute is headquartered in Stockholm at Holmamiralens Väg 10, Skeppsholmen, and is wholly owned and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers as part of its inter-governmental cooperation framework covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, with operational reach extending to the Baltic states and Faroe Islands. It serves two primary user groups: policymakers at national, regional and local levels, and practitioners (regional developers, planners) implementing sustainable regional development initiatives, with a secondary audience of academic researchers. Its revenue model is built on government-funded research project allocations from the Nordic Council of Ministers and related bodies, supplemented by EU and Nordic project co-financing, with publications and reports distributed via its own website and the Nordic Council of Ministers publishing platform (pub.norden.org). Pricing is not publicly disclosed as the institute is publicly funded, and there are no private-sector customers, no commercial subscriptions, and no equity ownership outside the Nordic Council of Ministers parent structure.

The institute's core technology stack centers on GIS, cartography and statistical methods combined with geospatial tools for cross-border regional development analysis. Its product portfolio includes the biennial State of the Nordic Region flagship report (first published in 2013, with the 20th edition released in June 2024), the Nordic Statistics Platform providing comparable regional data across the Nordic, Arctic and Baltic regions, a library of 536+ interactive maps and spatial analyses, and 473+ applied research publications (reports, working papers, policy briefs, discussion papers, storymaps). Supporting products include Planning Memos (practical guidance for practitioners) and themed research projects on digital inclusion, marine spatial planning, and offshore renewable energy coexistence. Nordregio distributes outputs through its website, email newsletter, LinkedIn, BlueSky and Instagram, plus a regular program of events, webinars, and participation in Nordic conferences and democracy festivals.

Strategically, Nordregio acts as secretariat for the Nordic Thematic Groups 2025-2030 under the Nordic Co-operation Programme for Regional Development and Planning, and is embedded in EU-funded consortia including the Northern European Sea Basins project (NESBp), the eMSP project, and the HELCOM-VASAB MSP Working Group. Its competitive moat rests on its statutory inter-governmental mandate (non-replicable by commercial actors), its proprietary comparable datasets across multiple national jurisdictions, and its accumulated intangible brand authority as the publisher of the State of the Nordic Region report.

Name

Nordregio

Legal name

Nordregio

Website

https://nordregio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nordregio is a non-profit research institute established in 1997 by the Nordic Council of Ministers that produces research, comparable statistics, GIS-based maps and policy analysis on regional development and planning for policymakers, practitioners and academic researchers across the Nordic, Arctic and Baltic regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Regional Development Analysis

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370)

SIC

Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)

akta.pro primary industry

Program & Project Implementation (TA Delivery) (BPADAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Health & Population Intergovernmental Bodies (BPADAAAD), Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing (EDAGAFAL)

Keywords

• Regional development research
• Policy research services
• Nordic statistics platform
• GIS cartography analysis
• Sustainability research

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Project Funding: Government-funded research projects commissioned by Nordic Council of Ministers and related bodies
2. Publications and Reports: Sale of research publications, reports, and digital content to institutions and governments

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nordregio is an international research institute that conducts applied research and produces publications, statistical datasets, and GIS-based maps on regional development and planning across the Nordic, Arctic, and Baltic regions. Its deliverables include the biennial State of the Nordic Region report, 473+ publications, 536+ interactive maps, and the Nordic Statistics comparable data set, commissioned primarily by the Nordic Council of Ministers and related government bodies.

Product overview

Nordregio is a research institute offering a portfolio of knowledge products focused on regional development and planning in the Nordic, Arctic, and Baltic regions. The core offerings include the biennial State of the Nordic Region flagship report, a collection of 536 interactive maps and spatial analyses, and 483 research publications spanning reports, working papers, policy briefs, and storymaps. Supporting products include Nordic Statistics (comparable regional data), Planning Memos (practical guidance), and thematic research services on topics including digital inclusion, marine spatial planning, and sustainable coexistence of energy and food sectors. The institute also produces events, webinars, and ongoing projects serving policymakers and practitioners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State of the Nordic Region Nordregio's flagship biennial publication providing a comprehensive overview of key trends shaping the Nordic countries, regions, and municipalities. Draws on latest statistical data, maps, and research-based analysis across demography, labour market, and economy, featuring the Regional Potential Index. Targeted at policymakers and practitioners in the Nordic region.
• Maps and Spatial Analyses Collection of 536 interactive maps and spatial analyses revealing patterns and trends in regional development across Nordic, Arctic and Baltic regions. Uses statistical methods and geospatial tools to support comparative studies and policy insights for policymakers and researchers.
• Publications Applied research and policy-relevant analysis portfolio of 473+ publications on regional development, covering demography, governance, labour market, migration, marine spatial planning, rural development, sustainability, and urban planning. Includes reports, working papers, policy briefs, discussion papers, and storymaps for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers.
• Nordic Statistics Comparable statistical data set for regional planning, policy development, and research across the Nordic Region, providing standardized cross-country regional indicators.
• Digital Inclusion Research Research and analysis on digital inclusion and exclusion in the Nordic-Baltic Region, covering groups at risk of digital exclusion including older adults, immigrants, rural populations, persons with disabilities, children and youth. Conducted in collaboration with the Nordic Welfare Centre.
• Green Energy Meets Blue Food Research initiative examining sustainable coexistence between offshore renewable energy (wind power) and marine food sectors (fisheries and aquaculture) in Nordic seas through governance analysis and case studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• State of the Nordic Region report published bi-annually since 2013, providing comprehensive regional development analysis
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Nordic Council of MinisterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that established Nordregio. Provides institutional funding, strategic direction, and mandates research priorities for regional development across the Nordic Region.
• Northern European Sea Basins project (NESBp) PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-country collaboration including Netherlands Ministry, German BSH, French Cerema, Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, Polish Maritime Institute, Belgian clusters, and others focused on maritime spatial planning in North Sea and Baltic Sea regions.
• eMSP Project PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded project partners including Dutch RVO, Danish Maritime Authority, Finnish Ministry of Environment, HELCOM, and multiple Baltic Sea region institutions working on ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning.
• Nordic Welfare Centre (NWC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in digital inclusion research projects, combining expertise on welfare issues with regional development analysis.
• Nordic Council of Ministers for Fisheries, Aquaculture, Food and Forestry (EK-FJLS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding body for the Green Energy Meets Blue Food project addressing coexistence of offshore wind and fisheries in Nordic Seas.
• HELCOM-VASAB MSP Working GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Baltic Sea regional maritime spatial planning authorities for knowledge sharing and cross-border cooperation.
• Digital Europe ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for aligning digital inclusion monitoring with EU's Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) framework.
• Nordic Thematic Groups 2025-2027coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordregio serves as secretariat for thematic groups on land use planning, regional development under Nordic Co-operation Programme for Regional Development and Planning 2025-2030.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stockholm Environment Institute: Independent research organization headquartered in Stockholm delivering policy research on environment, climate, and sustainable development. Comparable as a Stockholm-based applied research institute serving governments and intergovernmental bodies, with similar grant-funded revenue model.
• Nordic Welfare Centre: Institution under the Nordic Council of Ministers focused on welfare research and digital/social inclusion in the Nordic-Baltic region. Directly comparable in mandate (applied research for Nordic governments), funding model, and digital inclusion collaboration partnership with Nordregio.
• ESPON EGTC: European Territorial Observatory Network producing applied research, maps, and indicators on regional development for European policymakers. Directly comparable to Nordregio in mission (evidence for regional policy), outputs (flagship reports, GIS maps), and customer base (intergovernmental bodies).
• NordForsk: Nordic research-funding and policy-coordination body under the Nordic Council of Ministers. Comparable as a Nordic Council-affiliated research intermediary, though NordForsk funds academic research while Nordregio delivers applied policy research directly.
• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA): International research institute based in Austria applying systems analysis to policy challenges including population, energy, and regional development. Comparable as a multi-country policy research institute funded by national member organizations with cross-border research output.
• HELCOM: Helsinki Commission governing the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area. Comparable as a Nordic/Baltic intergovernmental body where Nordregio is a project partner, with shared mandate on marine spatial planning policy.

Broad incumbents

• European Committee of the Regions: EU advisory body representing regional and local authorities, commissioning studies on regional development and cohesion policy. Comparable as a regional policy interlocutor that consumes evidence similar to what Nordregio produces, though operating at EU rather than Nordic scope.
• Nordic Council of Ministers: Nordregio's parent organization and inter-parliamentary body representing the five Nordic governments. Directly comparable as the funder-mandate counterpart that defines the policy and research agenda Nordregio executes.
• OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities: OECD division producing cross-country regional, urban, and rural development analysis and indicators. Comparable as a supranational producer of comparable regional statistics and policy benchmarks, but at global rather than Nordic scope.

Regional players

• Statistics Sweden (SCB): Swedish national statistics agency producing official comparable regional data. Comparable as a producer of standardized regional statistics feeding Nordregio's comparable Nordic datasets, though focused on Sweden rather than the Nordic Region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Nordregio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nordregio
• Instagraminstagram.com/nordregio
• Facebookfacebook.com/Nordregio

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nordregio