Publikasjoner
The German ICT industry : Spatial employment and innovation patterns
This paper documents recent developments in German ICT industries. In particular we report results on spatial patterns in innovation and employment in these industries. The paper is motivated by previous studies that have found that ICT industries seem to cluster geographically and having spatially clustered growth rates. In this study, we discriminate between production of ICT devices and production of ICT services. In Germany, production of ICT devices is concentrated in clusters of innovating regions (in terms of patents). ICT service production, on the other hand, is concentrated in larger urban areas. Growth rates in ICT-related employment show different spatial patterns. The data show that negative spatial effects are present for several sectors, which might give support for the so-called backwash effect described by Gunnar Myrdal (1957). For other sectors, positive spatial spillover effects may be present. For overall economic development (in terms of gross regional product per habitant) we find weak positive growth effects ICT, but these growth effects stem more from innovation than from production or use of ICT.
Hva gjør Norge utsatt for terrorisme? : Trusselscenarier og norsk sårbarhetsforvaltning
Til tross for en begrenset internasjonal terrortrussel mot Norge, kan noen utviklingstrekk, forhold og situasjoner bidra til at trusselbildet blir mer alvorlig, og aktualisere sårbarheter i det norske samfunnet. Noen av faktorene er knyttet til langsiktige og vedvarende endringer, mens andre er mer situasjonelle og kan føre til en akutt, men kortsiktig økning av trusselen. De viktigste sårbarheter og potensielle nasjonale mål kan deles inn i henholdsvis: energiproduksjon, transportmidler, informasjons- og kommunikasjonsteknologi, kontroversielle næringer og aktiviteter, symbolobjekter og - personer, samt ulike utenlandske mål i Norge. Spørsmålet er i hvilken grad og i hvilke sammenhenger det finnes grupper som ønsker å utnytte disse sårbarhetene, og å utføre aksjoner. Rapporten presenterer situasjoner og hendelser hvor disse sårbarhetene har blitt aktualisert, eller kan bli det i fremtiden. Avslutningsvis gis det noen generelle vurderinger av utfordringer for norsk «sårbarhetsforvaltning», samt forslag til nasjonale forskningsfokus for terrorisme. Dette for å underbygge sunn prioriteringspraksis i beslutningskretser, generere et grunnlag for videre sårbarhetsforskning og sårbarhetsforståelse, samt å identifisere kunnskapshull.
More teeth for the NATO-Tiger How the Framework Nation Concept can reduce NATO’s growing formation – capability gap
How can the Framework Nation Concept reduce NATO’s growing formation – capability gap?
Power, Principles and Procedures : Reinterpreting French foreign policy towards the USA (2001-2003)
French foreign policy towards the US is often understood as particularly confrontational and based on traditional power politics, or a wish to re-establish “la grandeur de la France”. This article aims at investigating the validity of this widely held view. It further seeks to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the French positions by studying the arguments used by the French political leadership and the implications of the Iraq conflict for bilateral cooperation at lower levels. This study questions the common assumption of IR theory that national identities and/or interests are fixed and independent of structural factors such as international norms and values. It also questions the value of focusing exclusively on diplomatic or “top-level” bilateral relations, without looking at “low-level” or practical bilateral cooperation and/or conflicts.
Indigenous to Indigenous Cooperation : Review of the Saami Council Projects in Africa
The Norwegian section of the Saami Council has been cooperating with two indigenous organizations in Africa since 2002: the Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Africa, based in Tanzania, and the First People of the Kalahari, in Botswana. The report evaluates this cooperation. It concludes that both organizations are potentially very relevant, but that for different reasons, the full potential has not been reached. Recommendations for how to strengthen the work are given.
Norway's Fredskorpset Youth Program : Study of selected exchange projects
The Fredskorpset Youth program is a North-South exchange program facilitating the exchange of young people between partner organizations or institutions of Norway and countries of the South. The present study was commissioned in order to assess the degree to which stated goals of the exchanges were realized. Four exchanges were selected to be studied: between a Norwegian and Kenyan student organization (AIESEC); between a Norwegian missionary organization (NMS) and its counterpart church in Madagascar (FLM); between local Red Cross organizations in Norway and Uganda; and between a Norwegian (VUC) and two Malawian teacher training institutions (CC, LTTC). Objectives of the programs included acquiring new knowledge, attitudes and commitment at the level of individual participants, organizational strengthening and development of international contacts at the institutional level, and dissemination of information. As goals were mostly quite loosely formulated, it was difficult to assess the degree to which they were realized with any precision. Findings varied between the exchanges, but in general individual objectives were reached to some extent, while results might have been even stronger with more systematic attention to them. Institutional goals were achieved in most of the cases. In terms of information dissemination, this could be strengthened in most of the exchange programs.