Background
The Barents Region is
extremely vulnerable to disturbances due
to harsh climatic conditions and
sensitive natural environment. The
nature in these northern areas is
ecologically sensitive and regenerates
slowly. Long distances and scarce
population make living in northern areas
additionally striving causing e.g.
social problems, and increasing needs
for transportation of goods and people.
Northern environment sets its own
requirements in health issues, and in
health care and services.
The region is rich in
natural resources and untouched nature,
giving the region high economic value.
Intensive industry and increasing needs
to take the natural resources into use
brings out a clear need to develop
industrial processes more environmental
friendly. Additionally, it is important
to find measures to prevent and diminish
environmental damages and to restore
existing damages.
During the last 15 years
significant societal changes have
occurred in the Barents Region. Despite
of this, a gap of standards of living at
border area between EU and Russia as
well as income differences inside Russia
still exist. Due to all this, social and
welfare problems have set new challenges
for social work and employees dealing
with these issues.
Development of
information systems and services is
increasingly done in international and
trans-boundary cooperation.
International cooperation requires
multicultural project skills in addition
to systems and software development
expertise. However, it is important to
have clear procedures on how to treat
information and collaborate with respect
to information security. Also, mobility
of labor force presupposes understanding
of cultural backgrounds and
multicultural skills.
