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Arctic Sport Network
Published on 31 August 2020
Finland
Pohjois- ja Itä-Suomi
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
The network is based on cross-sectoral ecosystem-like collaboration bringing together actors from different fields of sport. The aim is to unleash the full potential of sport as an industry, support new business and innovations, to strengthen the local knowledge base and to promote healthy lifestyle among locals by acting as a communication and knowledge platform and therefore enabling collaboration between actors. The network doesn’t have any legal form, and anyone can participate in the meetings and workshops. This makes the network dynamic and enables true bottom-up approach.
The initiative to launch Arctic Sport Network started in 2018 in a high level meeting between several organisations in the field of regional development, education and research and sport development. The long-term goal is to organise the network more in form of an innovation cluster and to find international recognition. However, the loose network structure gives an opportunity to develop sports not only from business perspective, but also from the perspective of local communities by acting as platform for small grass-root level collaboration between actors and encouraging social innovation. Arctic Sport acts as an umbrella for different actions and partnerships.
Arctic Sport Network also plays a role in interregional collaboration by acting as a link between regional actors and EU-collaboration, especially Smart Specialisation Platform’s Sport partnership.
The initiative to launch Arctic Sport Network started in 2018 in a high level meeting between several organisations in the field of regional development, education and research and sport development. The long-term goal is to organise the network more in form of an innovation cluster and to find international recognition. However, the loose network structure gives an opportunity to develop sports not only from business perspective, but also from the perspective of local communities by acting as platform for small grass-root level collaboration between actors and encouraging social innovation. Arctic Sport acts as an umbrella for different actions and partnerships.
Arctic Sport Network also plays a role in interregional collaboration by acting as a link between regional actors and EU-collaboration, especially Smart Specialisation Platform’s Sport partnership.
Resources needed
- Coordination group to prepare matters between meetings
- Person to call up meetings and maintain communication
- Venue, catering and online participation tools for meetings 1-3 per year + small working group meetings
- So far the network actions have been funded as part of different projects
- Person to call up meetings and maintain communication
- Venue, catering and online participation tools for meetings 1-3 per year + small working group meetings
- So far the network actions have been funded as part of different projects
Evidence of success
The network has named a coordination group to consolidate different views and goals that has created a shared vision which is based on three phenomena/working groups: Care for health, Top sports, and Experience economy. The vision is a living paper which will be further elaborated in the course of the collaboration.
Meetings gather about 30-40 participants and the network reaches approx. 80 people from different sectors and organisations.
Meetings gather about 30-40 participants and the network reaches approx. 80 people from different sectors and organisations.
Potential for learning or transfer
Arctic Sport Network has been initiated top-down, but it’s activity is based on bottom-up approach. Top-down initiative has made it easier to gather together the whole quadruple-helix including public organisations, academia, businesses and sport clubs. One advantage in establishing the network top-down, is the S3 recognition and availability of development funding. Top-down initiatives need interest and contribution from regional level and public institutions.
The bottom up process is based on three working groups established around three phenomena: Care for health, Top sports, and Experience economy. In these groups actors can discuss shared challenges and new initiatives. The working groups can also contribute to different cross-cutting topics from each point of view.
This good practice is also possible to transfer to other sectors.
The bottom up process is based on three working groups established around three phenomena: Care for health, Top sports, and Experience economy. In these groups actors can discuss shared challenges and new initiatives. The working groups can also contribute to different cross-cutting topics from each point of view.
This good practice is also possible to transfer to other sectors.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Regional Council of Lapland
Finland
Pohjois- ja Itä-Suomi
Contact
Project manager