Northern Periphery Programme

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Programme Info / Priorities

Priority 1: Objective ii.

Priority 1: Promoting innovation and competitiveness in remote and peripheral areas

ii. Accessibility

Objective: To facilitate development by the use of advanced information and communication technologies and transport in the programme area.

Broad themes

increased use of ICT to overcome distance
implementation of ICT to modernise and to innovate industries and businesses in the Northern Periphery
developing innovative product and service solutions for developing and maintaining transport infrastructure with regard to roads, railways, airports and ports under harsh climatic conditions
development of transport schemes that benefit rural communities, such as new maritime routes
maritime safety in relation to remote areas with arctic, harsh conditions
building the capacity to respond to and prepare for emergencies and natural disasters to which the Northern Periphery is exposed.

Potential project ideas

Increasing educational opportunities through outreach accessibility and other innovative distance learning tools that sustain rural communities and reduce the need to travel.
Benchmarking of advanced ICT in peripheral regions and the development of new models of provision that seek to ensure equal access to all.
Enhancing implementation of advanced ICT in businesses and promoting the competitiveness of rural and peripheral areas in IT through out-sourcing, home based working etc.
Sharing of management information systems in sparsely populated areas through greater use of ICT, such as a database of specialist healthcare services throughout the NPP area, for example cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics etc.
Development of new methods and concrete initiatives to improve maritime safety and risk prevention in northern waters exposed to harsh climatic conditions, particularly in relation to the opening up of new sea routes in the periphery.
Knowledge transfer to develop marine tourism and products and services in fields such as: planning and restructuring of ports (transition from commercial to leisure ports); water sports co-operation; marina management, development of new routes, etc.
Joint collaboration between public and private stakeholders to prepare new inter-modal transportation links for peripheral and sparsely populated areas, including small-scale infrastructure management and linking together of airports/rail links and bus routes.
Development of innovative and sustainable public transportation schemes and services for sparsely populated areas that reduce social exclusion and help overcome the area’s dependence on private transportation.
Testing and dissemination of new concepts and models for short sea shipping in the Northern Periphery and the development of new logistical models for freight movement in sparsely populated areas.

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