On 24 December 2022 Östfold University and Visit Fredrikstad and Hvaler had a first article published in Fredriksstad blad
What does it take to create new jobs on Hvaler? This is one of the questions that students in Innovation and Project Management will answer. Østfold University College receives funding for a research project on islands in five countries.'They are looking forward to starting work on the research project on a number of islands in France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, senior lecturer Eivind Leister, general manager Maya Nielsen of Visit Fredrikstad and Hvaler, senior lecturer Bjørn Gitle Hauge and associate professor Frode Ramstad Johansen. The university college receives NOK 5 million for island research hoping to help Hvaler. What does it take to create new jobs on Hvaler? This is one of the questions that students in Innovation and Project Management will answer. Østfold University College receives funding for a research project on islands in five countries.
Services, schools and health and care services. Tourism, energy supply and waste management are other topics that students will take a closer look on.
"Students can make a difference to make a difference and ensure for business development," says Associate Professor Gunnar Andersson, who is one of the teachers at the university college who collaborate on research on the islands. Eivind Leister and Frode Ramofte have problems recruiting employees, many islands are struggling with out-migration, and they have little activity outside the tourist season. They have several challenges in common in common, which we want to highlight
in order to create increased activity and settlement and more jobs," says college lecturer Eivind Leister.
FREIIA, not Freya
Managing Director Maya Nielsen of Visit Fredrikstad and Hvaler says that one of the goals is to create more activity on Hvaler on a year-round basis. This could in turn lead to more jobs, increased visitor numbers and an influx of families with children.
"We want to know where the shoe pinches, what services need to be in place," says Nielsen, who has great faith in the project.
As the hotel capacity on Hvaler is now increasing, this is good timing to develop Hvaler into a year-round year-round destination," Nielsen points out. "The knowledge we will gain through collaboration with students
and the university college will be valuable for the municipality and the industry on Hvaler, and it will provide new knowledge for the work of the new destination council on Hvaler," she says.
She also made the suggestion for the name of the research project, which is FREIIA, an abbreviation for Facilitating Resilience Embracing Islands Innovation Approaches, but which also has a clear allusion to Freya the walrus.
"Freya the walrus was seen in several of the countries participating in this project, but the name of the research project is spelt FREIIA," she says. Nielsen explains that the other island communities in the North Sea want to know more about the residence obligation on Hvaler and what it means for settlement and jobs throughout the year. Research fellow In the new year, Østfold University College will advertise a position as a doctoral research fellow, who will coordinate research efforts and write a doctoral thesis on island research.
The position will apparently be advertised for four years, as usual for doctoral research fellows.
The individual will therefore be paid for conducting research and completing a a doctoral degree. "They will have a workplace at Østfold University College, but will spend much of their time on the the islands that are part of the research project," says project leader Bjørn Gitle Hauge.