Cultural Heritage as an Asset in Regional Development Report from The Swedish National Heritage Board 2008:3 2 CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Cultural Heritage as an Asset in Regional Development Report from The Swedish National Heritage Board 2008:3 CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 3 The Swedish National Heritage Board Box 5405, 114 84 Stockholm Telefon + 46(0)8-5191 8000 Fax +46(0)8-5191 8083 www.raa.se bocker@raa.se Photo frontpage Ale stenar, Skåne. Rickard Sohlenius, RAÄ Text Erika Nilsson Layout Marie Klavelid, RAÄ © 2008 Riksantikvarieämbetet 1:1 ISBN 978-91-7209-509-0 Tryckeri Garnisonens tryckeri, Stockholm 2008 4 CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 6 2 THE NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD’S DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 7 2.1 Focus Areas 8 2.2 Resources 8 3 4 5 6 7 8 INNOVATION AND RENEWAL 9 SKILLS SUPPLY AND IMPROVED LABOUR SUPPLY 10 ACCESSIBILITY 10 STRATEGIC CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION 11 ATTRACTIVENESS AND TOURISM 11 NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD WORK 12 8.1 Collaborative Projects 12 8.2 Supervisory Committees 14 8.3 Research and Development 14 CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 5 1 Introduction Cultural heritage policy is a critical component in the realisation of regional development objectives. Cultural policy objectives are primarily based on the value that culture has for quality of life and democracy. Efforts and contributions within the cultural field have considerable impact when it comes to strengthening people’s creativity and a region’s attractiveness. Culture can contribute to a region’s open, democratic and dynamic climate. It stimulates entrepreneurs to invest in and develop new products, goods and services. This report has been produced in line with a government commission in which the National Heritage Board was asked to describe how the agency contributed to implementing the national strategy for regional competitiveness, entrepreneurship and employment 2007-2013. In their strategy for growth, good service levels and sustainable development the Swedish Government had prioritised the following areas: innovation and renewal, skills supply and improved labour supply, accessibility and strategic cross-border cooperation. Stockholm Mars 2008 Jan-Gunnar Lindgren avdelningschef 6 CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2 The National Heritage Board’s Regional Development Strategy Photo: Askersund town, Närke. Jan Norrman The National Heritage Board has been involved in regional development work for over ten years. This is not only due to the National Heritage Board being a driving force within cultural heritage as an asset in regional development, but also that collaboration with other government agencies and other stakeholders is regarded as a prerequisite for sustainable regional development. The National Heritage Board has tailored its organisation and allocated human resources in order to facilitate its participation in societal processes, including regional development and growth. In its governmental appropriation directions the Board has been required to provide feedback on regional development work. In addition, the Board has been involved in several government commissions designed to strengthen regional development work, the latest being the RUP-uppdraget [RUP-commission], and prior to this the so-called sektorssamordningsuppdraget [sector’s coordinating commission]. The National Heritage Board has prioritised regional development issues ever since Sweden’s entry into the EU and the establishment of the EU structural funds program- me. Both focus and content have been successively widened and changed depending on which development issues were considered most important. The regional development field has strong connections with several of the Board’s areas of responsibility, such as the built environment and physical planning, infrastructure and rural development. The Board has also prioritised regional development in its R&D work. Within the frame of its international development cooperation the National Heritage Board seeks to emphasise the role of the cultural heritage in sustainable development. This work includes supporting the cultural heritage agencies in the collaborating countries and ensuring that the cultural heritage contributes to sus-tainable development. Here the Board can contribute in terms of its experience of working with the cultural heritage and sustainable regional development. It is also in a position to pass on new perspectives and ideas gained as a result of collaborative development work. The importance of culture for sustainable regional development has also been emphasised in the Government CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 7 Bill, En politik för tillväxt och livskraft i hela landet [A policy for growth and vitality throughout Sweden] (Govt. Bill 2001/02:4). This Bill has led to a wider and improved involvement in terms of the Board’s participation in regional development work. The cultural heritage’s economic significance has also been assigned to the European agenda as a result of the EU Commission’s Meddelande om en europeisk agenda för en kultur i en alltmer globaliserad värld [Communication on a European agenda for culture in a globalising world] (KOM 2007:242/SEK2007:570). The main issues proposed by the National Heritage Board in connection with regional development work are: • cultural heritage as an asset for regional development and growth, • humanistic and historical perspectives in regional development work, • a holistic view of the landscape, • national collaboration on the monitoring and evaluation of, for example, the values associated with cultural heritage, • the concept environmentally sustainable instead of ecologically sustainable, • a balance between economic, social and environmentally sustainable regional development, • the development of strategic planning data for the historic environment, • improved knowledge and joint research efforts in, for example, the creation of attractive/innovative/creative regions, • sustainable regional development as an important aspect of international co-operation in cultural heritage. 2.1 Focus Areas The National Heritage Board’s focus areas are those strategic priorities and choices made by the Executive Secretariat - on the basis of external prerequisites and the Board’s mission and vision - in order for the agency to be as successful as possible in realising the set objectives. These focus areas govern the objectives and efforts decided upon in the strategy directives and include: • Strengthened knowledge and expertise development: In collaboration with others, the National Heritage Board is committed to creating working systems for the acquisition, development and accessibility of relevant knowledge and expertise within the cultural heritage field. Collaboration and oversight is to be international, national and regional. The Board is committed to directing its own knowledge and skills development to strategically important areas. • Professional agency work: The National Heritage Board is committed to improving and developing the effectiveness and serviceability of the historic environment in the sector’s instruments of governance and to fostering collaborative work with other sectors. In an effort to develop its central agency role the Board will focus on work involving general directives and advice. The agency is committed to developing a systematic monitoring and evaluation of the historic environment, the use of the cultural heritage and of historic environment work and to communicating the results through dialogues and debates. • A more efficient management system: The National Heritage Board aims to meet society’s demands by means of better accessibility, transparency and efficiency. This presupposes that the agency’s work, responsibility delineations and role are clearly defined and that the Board sets priorities on the basis of a clear citizen-based focus. Administrative and economic systems should be both effective and appropriate. The Board is committed to providing an attractive working environment. Vision The cultural heritage is vital, accessible and meaningful for all! Mission The National Heritage Board is the central government agency responsible for historic environment and cultural heritage issues. The National Heritage Board is committed to ensuring that the cultural heritage is vital, accessible and meaningful in society by: • overseeing and promoting cultural heritage issues in dialogues and debates, • being a central supporting, coordinating and monitoring body. 2.2 Resources In addition to its knowledge capital, one of the most important resources at the disposal of historic environment development is Subvention 28:25 Bidrag till kulturmiljövård [Contribution to historic environment management], the main objective of which is to ensure the greatest possible impact and benefit for the historic environment. On the assumption that such historic environment benefit can be achieved, the contribution implies the collabora- 8 CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Photo: Harstena island, Östergötland. Pål-Nils Nilsson tive use of other public or private resources and can result in job opportunities, good living environments and an attractive region. One example worth mentioning is that in 2006, within the frame of the regional growth programme, 39 million Swedish kronor of the above contribution together with around 190 million kronor from the EU, industry, the Swedish Agency for Public Management, other government agencies and private and non-profit actors was made available. 3 Innovation and Renewal An aptitude for innovation and renewal is essential for regional competitiveness. In recent decades the cultural heritage has been of considerable importance for growth and regional and local development. The cultural heritage is increasingly used to accentuate a region’s attractiveness and as a point of departure for free enterprise and entrepreneurship. In regional growth and development programmes, the cultural heritage is seen as being of vital importance. An essential prerequisite for a rich and living historic environment is that it is regarded as an asset that can be used and developed. This naturally implies that natural environments, culture and the cultural heritage are included in the development of innovative milieus. In order to work with increased attractiveness in a strategic and sustainable way it is important to acquire knowledge about all different relevant factors and the consequences that such actions may have in relation to the governing perspectives and objectives in focus. Cultural heritage is important for both people and free enterprise. For example, it provides us with narratives relating to agriculture, industry, building usage and past and present ways of life. It has considerable environmental and social value, which in turn contributes to a feeling of identity and continuity. It also has enormous userpotential; something that can be developed in the future. The coastal regions and archipelagos provide attractive areas for recreation and the outdoor life. Cultural heritage in terms of life in the archipelago and archipelago milieus is in increasing and constant demand. Their permanent habitation is another pressing issue – one that is not altogether without complication. Teamwork on the part of the public sector and trade and industry is not only essential for the creation of innovation and renewal, but also for the development of the country’s knowledge resources. Corresponding interactions are also necessary if public resources are to be used to improve and strengthen the historic environment’s usefulness for entrepreneurs. This also calls for a continued development of industrial activities based on natural environments, culture and cultural heritage in order to promote socio-economic development and the continued development of natural and cultural tourism. CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 9 4 Skills Supply and Improved Labour Supply Access to relevant skills and capacity is a prerequisite for the development of trade and industry and cultural heritage. Successful work with the cultural heritage as an asset is also dependent on different groups’ knowledge being utilized in society’s decision-making processes. If trade and industry, associations and private individuals are to use the cultural heritage as an asset it is essential that the relevant cultural heritage skills are accessible and up-to-date, and that participation in societal processes is strengthened, for example, in local authority planning processes or in the compilation of regional development programmes. More knowledge is also necessary in terms of how different stakeholders can communicate and reach satisfactory solutions in situations of conflicting interests. This demands specialist education and training and implies that those professionals involved in societal development processes are also well informed about the role the cultural heritage can play in the development of districts or regions in the future. Education and training that fosters communication and problem solving strengthen the prospects for the cultural heritage as an asset. Problem-solving skills are also needed if modern demands for functional adjustments, fire safety, accessibility, etc., are to be met. The general public’s interest in the cultural heritage and the historic environment is considerable and there is also a great demand for education, information and cooperation, for example, among artisans and entrepreneurs in the construction industry. In order to meet this demand for cultural heritage skills, basic training and skills-development is necessary for managers, architects, construction workers and those entrepreneurs who make use of the cultural heritage in their work, of which the so-called Hallandsmodellen [Halland Model] is one example. The National Heritage Board is committed to increasing historic environment skills and capacity in regional development processes, planning and building as well as different kinds of property management. The work partly includes mapping access to and the need for historic environment skills and capacity and developing ways in which historic environmental experts can take part in these processes. ritage is, and has always been, characterised by diversity. This diversity consists of similarities and differences in matters such as ethnicity, language, religion, class, generation, gender, sexual orientation and different disabilities. The creation of values about an environment is mainly a matter of communication. This means that the more we understand and appreciate the cultural heritage, the more we can experience it and take part in discussions about it – which in turn enhances its value. This is a key argument and an integral part of everyone’s right to an accessible cultural heritage. There is a problem when it comes to increased entrepreneurship, increased economic growth and an innovative and renewal-oriented trade and industry, however. Cultural heritage and historic environments are permanent resources and part of the common good. In a democratic society they should also be shared by and accessible to everyone. At the same time the cultural heritage is an asset for entrepreneurship. New management forms, networks and so on need to be developed that can deal with the linkages between private use and enjoyment and common resources. It is the National Heritage Board’s responsibility to ensure that the cultural heritage and historic environments are preserved and developed. By means of support, 5 Accessibility Democratic cultural heritage and historic environment work, where everyone is involved, demands that the cultural heritage is accessible in every respect: physical accessibility, access to source material, the dissemination of information and communication, etc. The basis of all work in the historic environment sector is that the cultural he- Photo: Gunnebo House, Västergötland. Pål-Nils Nilsson 10 CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT cooperation and education, the Board is committed to a proactive leadership of the historic environment sector’s various stakeholders so that culture-historical values can be made accessible to everyone. 6 Strategic Cross-border Cooperation with World Heritage issues be-tween the Council’s member states. The Director-General of the National Heri-tage Board participates in the European Heritage Heads Forum (EHHF), the aim of this being to strengthen both national and international historic environment work. Information relating to the Board’s participation in Nordic collaborations can be found in Chapter 8, National Heritage Board Work. The cultural heritage is a common asset and something best developed together. The access and accessibility of cultural heritage is prerequisite to a diversity perspective and work for human rights. Sweden has chosen to work with cultural heritage issues in a broad perspective. International co-operations provide new knowledge, new perspectives and new experiences, all of which have considerable significance for our continued work both within and beyond Sweden’s borders. One of the overarching objectives of the historic environment field is national and international understanding and respect for different groups’ cultural heritage. This includes working towards a sustainable and innovative utilisation and development of cultural heritage in a national as well as an international perspective. In order to realise this objective the National Heritage Board and other actors within the historic environment field need to develop international involvement and broaden their perspectives. In Sweden, cooperative efforts within the Baltic region are included in the development of an historic environment-related collaboration. So far this collaboration has involved Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. In the future cooperative efforts will also be directed towards countries outside the EU, such as the Ukraine and Belarus. These collaborations include knowledge acquisition, capacity building and development, democracy-promoting activities, knowledge transfer and the promotion of the role of the cultural heritage in a sustainable development. The National Heritage Board is actively involved in heritage cooperation work with the Baltic Sea States, with the aim of taking care of the common resources to be found in the cultural heritage. Examples of activities that the National Heritage Board is involved in are the Council of Europe’s annual initiative, European Heritage Days, known in Sweden as “Kulturhusens Dag”, Herein, a database project designed to increase and facilitate contacts between cultural and heritage institutions in Europe, and World Heritage work. In conjunction with the Swedish Arts Council, the National Heritage Board is responsible for the EU Cultural Contact Point in Sweden and the dissemination of information relating to the EU’s cultural programme. The Board is also represented on the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Cultural Heritage (CDPAT); a working group concerned 7 Attractiveness and Tourism Expressions like attractive region, attractive living environment, attractive landscape, attractive housing and business environment all appear in regional growth and development programmes, structural fund programmes as well as in local authority plans and visions. When attractiveness is made concrete, culture, nature and cultural heritage are emphasised as some of the most important resources. While attractiveness is usually regarded as something positive, its content can be quite different depending on the prevailing governing perspectives and objectives – regardless of whether the area is sparsely or densely populated. Today it is clear that the cultural heritage and historic environment have the capacity to attract large numbers of visitors and tourists. The quality of living environments, including urban and rural environments, cultural amenities of various kinds, natural environments and recreation areas are all very important when it comes to attracting people to live in cities and regions. But attractiveness is not only about getting people to visit a place. It is just as important to improve the quality of life for those living there and to provide business opportunities. Photo: Birka, Uppland. Bengt A Lundberg Tourism and the tourism industry have mushroomed both in Sweden and in the world at large and today constitute an important and varied industry, which in many regions is also a significant source of revenue. Cultural heritage tourism is on the increase and is intended to con- CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 11 tribute to the longterm and cautious use of the cultural heritage. In cultural heritage tourism work it is important to make the cultural heritage accessible to both the general public/local populations and visitors and at the same time develop and carry out the work with respect for different interests. In this context it is important to make room for dialogue and to maintain a balance between preservation interests and those of the user. As part of the work relating to the Nationell strategi för regional konkurrenskraft, entreprenörskap och sysselsättning 2007–2013 [National Strategy for Regional Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Employment 20072013], different data has been presented to the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications, the Ministry of Education and Research, and the Ministry of Culture. 8.1 Collaborative Projects 8 National Heritage Board Work Regional Development Programme (RUP) The National Heritage Board considers that the following work has contributed to developing knowledge about the role the culture heritage has to play in regional and local development and to interdisciplinary meetings and networks. It is considered vital to develop this discussion together with other stakeholders in the field. In the 2002 Appropriation directions, the National Heritage Board was commissioned to account for the way in which its work contributes to and promotes regional development. The report provides a summarised description of the areas of work that in some way contribute to regional development in economic, social and environmental terms. In 2004 and 2005, the National Heritage Board, together with twelve other government agencies and four socalled pilot districts, was involved in developing methods to strengthen the regions’ and central agencies’ work with regional development programmes. Culture, cultural heritage, tourism and nature experiences as development factors was one of seven specifically identified strategic areas. The National Heritage Board had a coordinating role in this work, with considerable support from concerned regions and government agencies. The group identified four main areas worthy of study: follow-up systems and indicators, the attractiveness concept, regional nature and culture data, and conflicts of interest in the intersection between nature/culture/tourism and how these contribute to strengthening the role of culture in sustainable regional development work. In addition, the National Heritage Board presented its own report to the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Nutek) on the significance of the historic environment for sustainable regional development. The aim of this report was to provide inspiration for regional historic environment management work. The National Heritage Board was also involved in the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s (Naturvårdsverket) government commission relating to pilot districts for developing the environment profile in growth programmes, published in the report Bredda perspektiven – Miljöintegration i tillväxtarbetet [Widen the Perspective – Environmental Integration in Growth and Development Work] (Report 5163). An additional publication, coordinated by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, has also been made available: Det nya tillväxtarbetet – förändringsarbete för en hållbar regional utveckling [New Growth and Development – Changing to a Sustainable Regional Development] (Report 5263). Photo: Visby, Gotland. Bengt A Lundberg 12 CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Seminars, Conferences and Workshops on Cultural Heritage and Regional Development Cultural Heritage and Entrepreneurship, and Cultural Heritage and Health In 2000-2005 the National Heritage Board organised five conferences/seminars on the theme of cultural heritage and regional development. • Kulturarvet som regional utvecklingsresurs - arbetskonferens om kulturmiljövårdens strategier för ett hållbart samhälle [The cultural heritage as regional development resource - workshop on historic environment man-agement strategies for a sustainable society] The target group was county and regional managers. • Kulturmiljön i den regionala utvecklingen - strategier och möjligheter för samverkan [The historic environment in regional development – collaborative strategies and opportunities] The conference was intended for representatives from County Administrative Boards, county museums, local government managers and administrators, central government agencies and nonprofit organisations/NGOs. • Perspektiv på hållbar utveckling – den goda livsmiljön [Sustainable de-velopment perspectives – the good living environment] The seminar was aimed at representatives from different societal sectors involved in sustainable development. • Plats, drivkraft, samhällsprocess – vad gör kulturarvet till en resurs för hållbar regional utveckling? [Place, motivation, societal process – how can the cultural heritage be a resource in sustainable regional development?] (Report 2003:7) This seminar was aimed at creating a meeting point for researchers, heritage professionals and central government agencies and thereby initiating dialogues relating to knowledge application, knowledge gaps and research needs. The seminar was preceded by a dialogue on the part of the National Heritage Board initiated research net-work on cultural heritage as a resource for regional development – see section 8.3, Research and Development. • Attraktivitet – hur och för vem? Kultur, natur och kulturarv som framgångsfaktorer och intressekonflikter [Attractiveness – how and who for? Culture, nature and cultural heritage as success factors and conflicting in-terests] (Report 2005:5). This seminar was organised collaboratively with several agencies, the target group being people involved in local and regional development processes, such as civil servants, researchers, entrepreneurs, landowners, etc. By way of a continuation of the above conferences and seminars the National Heritage Board is involved with Cultural heritage and entrepreneurship and Cultural heritage and health. In spring 2007, the Board, together with Jönköping International Business School and several other agencies, organised the conference Cultural Heritage and Entrepreneurship, which focused on the economic aspects of sustainable regional development and the cultural heritage as a resource. The conference was designed for representatives of central, regional and local agencies and organisations, and the eight organisations responsible for the programme were all invited. The National Heritage Board intends to continue with a conference in 2008, this time with entrepreneurs as the target group. In an attempt to focus on the social aspect of sustainable regional development and cultural heritage as a resource, the National Heritage Board intends to launch a network between government agencies and research institutions on Cultural Heritage and Health in autumn 2007. Nordic Collaborations The National Heritage Board’s collaboration with the Nordic countries mainly occurs within the framework of the Nordic Council of Ministers and through annual meetings between the Swedish Heritage Board’s Director-General and the Nordic counterparts. The National Heritage Board takes part in a joint Nordic project on collaboration and exchanges of experience relating to cultural heritage and regional development, and has been involved in co-organising an inter-Nordic seminar in Norway. The aim is to jointly arrange a conference in 2008 with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers. On a number of occasions the Board has also shared its experiences of regional development work at conferences – mainly in Norway. In addition, the Norwegian Heritage Board has also invited the Swedish agency to participate in the reference group for the Norwegian Cultural Heritage Management Programme 2006-2008, which aims to strengthen the cultural heritage in regional development work in Norway. Reference Group ITPS The National Heritage Board is also involved in the Swedish Institute for Growth Policy Studies’ (ITPS) govern- CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 13 ment commission to carry out a knowledge survey that highlights the significance and potential of the experience industry and the creative industries for economic sustainable growth, employment and competitiveness. In particular the survey will highlight the importance of the natural environment, culture and the cultural heritage. 8.2 Supervisory Committees Cultural Heritage Follow-up in Regional Development Work (KRUS) During the programme period 2007-2013, the National Heritage Board, together with the Swedish Arts Council, the Swedish Film Institute and the National Archives, has been nominated to participate in three of the national supervisory committees. The National Heritage Board contributes with two ordinary members, one for Southern Sweden and one for Northern Sweden. In conjunction with the Swedish Arts Council, the National Archives and Sweden’s local and regional councils, and in cooperation with Nutek and ITPS, a project has been initiated that is designed to analyse how culture and the cultural heritage has been dealt with in regional development programmes and metropolitan structural fund programmes. The analysis is intended to provide a national overview of how culture and the cultural heritage are used in strategic and sustainable regional development work. The work has been preceded by work presented in the report Kartläggning och utveckling av uppföljningssystem och indikatorer för kultur och kulturarv i hållbart regionalt utvecklingsarbete [The mapping and development of monitoring systems and indicators for culture and cultural heritage in sustainable regional development]. The project’s main focus of study was the variety of different methods, how these have been applied in international, regional and local contexts, and the effects they have had on regional development work. Feedback Relating to Structural Funds and the EU Cultural Programme. The National Heritage Board, in collaboration with the Swedish Arts Council, the Swedish Film Institute and the National Archives, reports annually on the number of Swedish culture-related projects receiving financial support via the EU’s structural fund programme and other joint initiatives as well as how much EU aid has been disbursed. The National Heritage Board has been involved in this work since 1997. The Swedish Arts Council, in collaboration with the National Heritage Board, reports annually on the number of Swedish applications to the EU Cultural Programme, the number of Swedish applications that have been approved grants and how much EU aid has been disbursed. The Swedish Arts Council has been charged with evaluating the entire programme period for Culture 2000 (2000-2006). The National Heritage Board will assist the Swedish Arts Council in this work. Photo: River Torne at Kukkola. Pål-Nils Nilsson Through participation in five of the national supervisory committees relating to EU structural funds in the previous programme period, the cultural heritage has been made more visible as an asset for development and growth within several different societal sectors. Participation in these committees has meant that The National Heritage Board has successively been able to extract and disseminate information within the cultural heritage sector relating to the EU’s new economic and social cohesion policies. The National Heritage Board can verify a very good outcome for cultural heritage related projects in all the structural funds, and particularly in the join LEADER+ initiative. 8.3 Research and Development The R&D allocation for the programme period 20062010 is intended for the financing of projects that support continued method development work and interdisciplinary research in the cultural field. Approved projects for 2007 largely follow the National Heritage Board’s R&D programme for the historic environment field 2006-2010 by focusing on three themes: Place and Tradition, Landscape and History and Modern Cultural Heritage. In ad- 14 CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT dition, specific grants are issued for contributions to the development of research and educational activities, to partially fund PhD work, for networking activities or the partial funding of research positions for the development of research areas that are either currently lacking or need to be developed further. Projects that specifically relate to regional development are: • The role of the cultural heritage entrepreneur in local communities, at Umeå University, aims towards an interdisciplinary analysis of the roles and functions that local stakeholders assume in the use of locally defined cultural heritage. The project is designed to generate new knowledge on the theme of entrepreneur-directed cultural heritage. • Cultural heritage, diversity and marketing practices, at Lund University and Campus Helsingborg, aims towards creating specific research relating to how issues of diversity are dealt with within cultural heritage tourism. • The historic environment’s social and economic values – methods for improved dialogues with citizens and companies in local authority planning on the value of the historic environment, at The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), aims towards developing methods for systematically procuring and making use of knowledge relating to the value of the historic environment and benefits for different groups of citizens and companies. • The economic value of the cultural heritage, at Jönköping International Business School, aims towards highlighting the economic aspects of preserving and improving the cultural heritage and historic environment in various combinations of cultural objects. The project, Cultural Heritage as a Resource for Regional Development 2001-2003, was included in the previous programme period. Its focus was the significance of the cultural heritage for regional development and growth processes. The project was carried out in three phases, all of which were documented in the following reports: Kulturarv som resurs för regional utveckling – en kunskapsöversikt [Cultural Heritage as a resource for regional development – a knowledge overview] (Report 2002:1), Kulturarvet i den regionala utvecklingen – en fallstudierapport [The Cultural Heritage in regional development – a case study] (Report 2002:4) and Plats, drivkraft, samhällsprocess – vad gör kulturarvet till en resurs för hållbar regional utveckling?[Place, motivation, societal process – how can the cultural heritage be a resource for sustainable regional development?] (Report 2003:7), see the section entitled Seminars and Conferences on Cultural Heritage and Regional Development. The result showed that well substantiated scientific data is essential if cultural heritage representatives are to have any significant impact and influence in the arenas where prerequisites for sustainable regional development are discussed and framed. Valuable conclusions from the research project were that it is vital that quantitative measurements and qualitative evaluating concepts are developed in parallel. This can be a matter of developing indicators in order to illustrate and elucidate causal connections and relations between cultural heritage and regional development. Another conclusion was that there is a need to create cross-sectoral arenas for discussion and the exchange of knowledge. Photo: Falu mine, Dalarna. Bengt A Lundberg CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 15 Cultural heritage policy is a critical component in the realisation of regional development objectives. Cultural policy objectives are primarily based on the value that culture has for quality of life and democracy. Efforts and contributions within the cultural field have considerable impact when it comes to strengthening people’s creativity and a region’s attractiveness. Culture can contribute to a region’s open, democratic and dynamic climate. It stimulates entrepreneurs to invest in and develop new products, goods and services. This report has been produced in line with a government commission in which the National Heritage Board was asked to describe how the agency contributed to implementing the national strategy for regional competitiveness, entrepreneurship and employment 2007-2013. In their strategy for growth, good service levels and sustainable development the Swedish Government had prioritised the following areas: innovation and renewal, skills supply and improved labour supply, accessibility, strategic cross-border cooperation. Riksantikvarieämbetet Box 5405 114 84 Stockholm www.raa.se bocker@raa.se ISBN 978-91-7209-509-0