INTERREG BOTNIA-ATLANTICA AND INTERREG NORD 2014-2020 32 – We have many fairly small, regional airports on both sides of the Kvarken strait. Then why not do a collaboration project? We connected universities, chambers of commerce, development companies, public actors and created FAIR, says Mathias. Early implementation of electric aviation in the Kvarken region has the potential to effectively address some of the region’s major challenges such as demographic change and urbanisation, long distances and the lack of east-west communications, and the global need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact. The project’s partnership consists largely of actors in the Kvarken region, i.e. the counties of Ostrobothnia, South Ostrobothnia, and Central Ostrobothnia in Finland and the county of Västerbotten and municipality of Örnsköldsvik in Sweden. There are also partners in northern Norway. The project trusts that the industry will handle the technology – Within the project, we will not develop any technology. We are looking at what we need to do in the region for early implementation and what effects it will have in the region. Initially, the project was met with a lot of skepticism, he says. – In 2019, many were skeptical and said that this will never become a reality until 2030-2040 at the earliest. But in just a couple of years, the discussion has changed. Now everyone is talking about alternative forms of propulsion for aviation. Now, the interest in FAIR is great, Mathias states. – We have been contacted by many organisations that say they want to follow this and are keen on the results we produce. We do not only promote the implementation of electric aviation in our own region. I think it will accelerate early establishment throughout Europe. FAIR Project Managers Isak Brändström and Andreas Forsgren.
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