This article argues in favour of a new direction in service research: in situ methodology. It problematizes previous ways of conducting service research and envisages a more profound theoretical and empirical understanding. It outlines three basic arguments as a scientific rationale, discussing ontological, epistemological, and methodological matters. It is highlights the need to develop more creative methods that allow proximity to the phenomenon and the involved actors with the capacity to grasp the multi-faceted reality

Similar to other northern peripheries, remote, and sparsely populated areas (SPAs) in Sweden's far north have been confronted with decreasing populations and economic stagnation, forcing local governments to more actively engage in strategies for attracting and retaining populations. This exploratory community case study considers rural place-marketing efforts in the municipalities of angstrom sele and Storuman, with a particular focus on understanding differing local strategies for attracting consumption-driven movers to "amenity-poor" and "amenity-rich" areas. The case study examines two research questions: what target groups do these municipalities envisage as desired new populations; and to what extent, and how, do they engage in rural place-marketing efforts? Our study reveals that the municipal officials' views on rural place-marketing strategies differ considerably, as angstrom sele participates in Europe's largest emigration expo while Storuman draws on its increasing tourism development to attract seasonal residents and returning young adults in the family-building stage of the life course. The findings further illustrate how production and performance aspects of mobility are essential when studying the socio-economic sustainability of everyday life in sparsely populated northern Swedish municipalities at different geographical places and levels.

The main purpose of the article is to connect rural immigrants’ business ventures and development in Sweden to relational perspectives on their proximate and distant family and co-ethnic networks at structural and individual levels. Accordingly, the authors employ a relational approach and draw on in-depth interviews. In the context of urban–rural relationships’ meanings for the restaurateurs’ business benefits and constraints, they address two questions: (1) What does embeddedness in proximate and distant family and co-ethnic networks mean for the interviewed restaurateurs and for their businesses? and (2) How do previous and anticipated transitions in the restaurateurs’ families influence their business decisions and migration trajectories? The results suggest that the interviewees employed transnational dimensions in their social embeddedness and that they maintained material and emotional relationships with their countries of origin. This relational approach thus contributes to a better understanding of what the studied businesses mean for the entrepreneurs and the selected localities. The restaurateurs contribute to a globalisation of Swedish countrysides, but their socio-economic potential for countering rural depopulation in Sweden is not fully realised. Additionally, the study illuminates how individuals influence, and are influenced by, place-to-place mobilities on a daily basis and during their life course. 

Research has recently questioned the commonly held opinion that travel time is valued as negative, arguing that engagement inactivities during travel may make these trips more enjoyable or productive. Satisfactionwith travel has to date been assessed using utility-based models or measures of productivity of the trip. The present study is the first to assess the influence of activities performed during travel on publictransport users’ subjective well-being. To this end, a survey was conducted in Sweden in 2010 in which activities during the work commute by publictransport were recorded and subjective well-being during travel was measured retrospectively using the Satisfactionwith Travel Scale (STS). Results show that talking to other passengers has the strongest positive effect on STS, whereas activities related to entertainment and relaxation lead to lower STS, possibly since engaging in these activities reflect unsuccessful attempts to abate boredom. In addition, it is found that activities during travel may have a more positive effect on the commute back home, suggesting that the mindset related to the destination influences travel satisfaction.

In this paper, we argue that the current focus on cycling must not neglect the need to improve public transport services for the large number of people who do not want to or are unable to cycle. An attractive public transport service is currently therefore the most important component of a sustainable transportation system. The question we address is what measures are needed to improve public transport to make people who do not cycle satisfied with the services such that their well-being increases. Based on research studies of satisfaction with public transport, measures at three levels of public transport services (use, access/egress, and overall) are identified and discussed.

The thesis has been made for NCC Teknik in Gothenburg. The NCC Corporation is one of the largest leading companies in Scandinavia within the construction industry. NCC is active throughout the whole construction process, where one part is to carry out soil investigations prior the construction of various buildings, for example residential buildings. NCC Technology wants to visualize the samples taken at the construction sites in 3D for clients, authorities and also internally to show in a simple and understandable way how contamination is spread out in the soil.

The thesis includes the area of Limhamns läge in Malmö, previously an industrial area. The area has previously included a concrete factory and the contamination from that factory has lingered in the soil. Here, the old buildings will be demolished and will be replaced by residential area and parkland. The contaminated soil must first be transported away to enable people to inhabit in the area.

The goal has been to develop a method that improves visualization of the soil remediation process by creating 3D models that could replace the visualization in 2D and tables with analysis results. The idea is that the method of 3D visualization can be applied to other soil remediation processes and some shafting.

Limhamns läge has the been divided into the squares to be able to take samples, which in turn are divided into boxes in depth which is defined as 20x20x0,5m. After the samples have been analyzed it is possible to determine which boxes that can remain in place, which ones that can be reused in the area and which ones that need to be transported away for landfill.

The created models are visualizations in 3D showing the distribution of soil contamination. One model is divided into half meter layers, making it possible to see the various levels of contaminants in the soil. A 3D model has also been created where the uncontaminated boxes have been separated from the other boxes and it allows visualization of the contaminated boxes.

A model has been created that shows how the shafting work progresses by gradually remove boxes that have been shafted for each week.

The models are designed to capture the results of analyzes by sieving. They are divided for each fraction, coarse, medium and fine. The models show what material can be reused and what should be transported to the landfill. The second version of the model shows the proportion of each fraction that was found in the sieved boxes.

Tourism in the wake of films, literature, and music is gaining interest among academics and practitioners alike. Despite the significance of converging tourism and media production and popcultural consumption, theorizing in this field is weak. This chapter explores complex relationships among popcultural phenomena, destination image creation, and tourism consumption. By taking a broader social science approach, it revisits and connects research themes, such as symbolic consumption, negotiated representations, fans and fandom, technology mediation, and media convergence. The chapter concludes with an integrative model, or "popcultural placemaking loop," which is qualified through six propositions. Copyright © 2015 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

In recent years, the world has been living in a pandemic where major adaptations have been necessary following the global advance of the Covid-19 virus. In many ways, this has changed the way society manages crises but despite this, public transport has been running in all cities across Sweden even under current restrictions. Sweden´s strategy against corona was different from most other countries and we will analyse an important everyday component of society in this paper - local public transport - and how it was affected by the pandemic. Covid-19 / SARS-CoV-2 is a dangerous and infectious virus that is ultimately spread through the saliva or exhalation of an infected person’s cough or sneeze. The virus has more or less shut down most countries in the world, stretched health services to breaking point, quarantined people, put large numbers of people out of work and affected the entire world economy. Public transport is one of the many businesses affected, as many of Sweden’s regions, public transport boards and companies have been advised by the Swedish Public Health Agency to continue using public transport. Costs for fuel, salaries, traffic service, infrastructure and school buses have remained intact, while revenues have fallen drastically.

  Despite warnings from experts, it has become clear that authorities, regions and companies were poorly prepared for an international crisis such as Covid-19. Few organisations could foresee such a world wide event and have the capacity to deal with the pandemic, not just as a single issue, for example in medicine or technology, but from several angles simultaneously. Changes in human behaviour are also of interest in terms of public transport and the spread of Covid-19. The disease has caused a large part of the world’s populations to change their travel habits.

I denna rapport redovisas resultaten av en studie av de institutionella förutsättningar som har karakteriserat kollektivtrafikpolitik och -planering på regional och lokal nivå i Sverige under 2000-talets första decennium. Syftet är att få en empiriskt grundad förståelse för vilka förutsättningar som har funnits lokalt och regionalt för att bedriva ett långsiktigt och strategiskt kollektivtrafikarbete, med fokus på både formella och informella faktorer. Studiens empiriska fokus riktas mot två län, Dalarna och Östergötland. I studien identifieras och diskuteras de utmaningar som har kringgärdat ambitionerna att utveckla en mer långsiktig strategisk kollektivtrafikplanering på lokal och regional nivå under den studerade perioden. En av knäckfrågorna har handlat om relationen mellan ägare (kommun och landsting) och trafikbolag. En annan viktig fråga handlar om de kostnadsfördelningsmodeller som har tillämpats i respektive län, och hur dessa har förmått skapa incitament för att bedriva ett långsiktigt strategiskt kollektivtrafikarbete. En tredje fråga som har varit avgörande i de båda länen är vilket intresse och vilken förmåga som har funnits för att etablera och upprätthålla en övergripande strategisk blick och viljeinriktning i det lokala och regionala kollektivtrafikarbetet. Sammanfattningsvis ger studien en rad exempel på både utmaningar och drivkrafter för ett mer långsiktigt och strategiskt kollektivtrafikarbete. De båda exemplen visar att det ofta är en kombination av formella och informella institutionella förutsättningar som avgör hur god förmåga som etableras för att bedriva ett långsiktigt strategiskt kollektivtrafikarbete. 2000-talets första decennium har präglats av ett formellt institutionellt regelverk som inte har varit särskilt gynnsamt i detta avseende. Avslutningsvis förs i rapporten en diskussion om den nya kollektivtrafiklagstiftningen som gällt från den 1 januari 2012, och i vilken mån den kan ses som en lösning på de utmaningar som har identifierats. En fråga som framstår som avgörande för framtiden är kopplingen mellan de regionala kollektivtrafikmyndigheterna och kommunerna, som genom det kommunala planmonopolet styr bebyggelseutvecklingen och den lokala trafikplaneringen och därmed på flera sätt avgör vilka förutsättningar som skapas för kollektivtrafiken. Det återstår att se hur den nya lagstiftningen faller ut i detta och en rad andra avseenden. Det är viktigt att framöver noga följa upp och analysera hur det går med det strategiska kollektivtrafikarbetet lokalt och regionalt, med fokus på såväl formella som informella institutionella förutsättningar.

This article critically reviews the representation of passengers within the light-handed regulation (LHR) that has been in place in the Australian air transport market since 2002. The focus is the commercial negotiations between airlines and airports concerning investments that affect passengers as key stakeholders, end-users, and payers. The article draws on literature on consumer representation and willingness to pay, as well as data from 21 in-depth interviews. The findings suggest that within the current arrangement, passengers are dependent on airlines as their representatives, although their interests may differ concerning investments in airport infrastructure and services. This dependency is leveraged by the current airline duopoly in the Australian domestic air transport market because passengers have no transport alternatives among which to choose. Airports charging passengers their fees (and eventually negotiating prices for improved services) directly is not deemed a suitable option because it could increase the airports' market power and affect the passenger experience negatively. Recommendations, such as involving an independent representation body and diversifying service provision at the airport, are discussed as possibilities for increasing passengers' influence.

The regional programme “Sustainable Värmlandic Growth for the period 2004 – 2007” is a textbook example of the regional development policy that was developed since the early 1990s in Sweden. One can find many similarities with the work being done in this county and the theoretical explanations developed in the "new economic geography". This programme lends itself very well to an analysis of economic geography and gender mainstreaming in regional policy, which we perform in this paper. We build the paper on a qualitative study in the Värmland region in the late 2000s. The study was carried out through making close readings of the growth programme documents and interactive research together with thirty appointed women in senior positions in the region. Our analysis indicates that the process of developing the growth programme was influenced by homotopical networks (place-specific male homosocial practices), as the large partnership that was formed was dominated by men and people from central areas, reconstructing past power relations. We can also conclude that the male dominated clusters were prioritised in the regional growth programme, while potentially successful clusters and innovation systems which included large numbers of women, were to a large degree excluded. We also conclude that the growth programme was not gender mainstreamed. We suggest that the concept of allowing spaces can be applied in ordet to identify alternative development possibilities and for new initiatives to take place, e.g. implying to integrate the women-dominated clusters in as potential clusters to build regional development on. Allowing spaces, we suggest, could have a potential to integrate gender into the discussion of regional development.

Economic geography and innovation studies are increasingly asking how regional industrial development paths develop. This paper addresses the scope of regional innovation policy to influence transformative change in regional industries, such as that needed to cope with grand societal challenges including climate change. We take a cross-disciplinary perspective using the regional innovation system framework, which is focused on innovation-based regional development, and complement this with insights from the sociotechnical transitions literature and its conceptualizations of sociotechnical regimes and niches. Empirically, we study the case of the chemicals industry in the Gothenburg-Stenungsund region, Sweden's largest basic chemicals industry cluster. Shifting from discussion to action appears challenging for this regional industry, despite advances in technology development, ongoing co-operation between the region's public and private sectors and its ambition to become an international leader in the production of sustainable chemistry products by 2030. Using this case, we present a broader view of path development, one that includes under-addressed policy approaches attempting to create new sociotechnical alignments that require co-evolving changes across technologies, infrastructures, regulatory frameworks and other societal dimensions, both within and beyond the regional context.

The aim of this article is to contribute to the discussions about the relationship between feminism and neoliberalism and the status of feminist emancipatory claims in marketized policy fields. My approach has been to analyse gender equality work within the highly marketized field of regional development in Sweden with a specific interest for how the convergence of the policy goals of gender equality and economic growth is represented by gender equality workers and to discuss the status of feminist emancipatory claims in this policy field. The analysis consists of articulating three representations of the relationship between gender equality and economic growth, characterized by various degrees of conflict: reciprocity, co-optation and Trojan horses. However, none of the representations articulate open emancipatory claims as legitimate within the field of regional development. Thus, the study shows gender equality in its relationship to economic growths renders emancipatory claims illegitimate unless beneficial for economic growth or hidden trough marketized language or logics. 

Over the last decade, the bioeconomy has been increasingly promoted as a strategy able to shift our economies away from fossil fuels and boost local economic growth, especially of rural areas in Europe. The bioeconomy is an important part of the European Union agenda, it is promoted through European wide strategies that are translated into local and regional policies. However, the bioeconomy does not unfold equally across regions; it has different implications influenced by the spaces and the narratives with which the policies are created and implemented. Amongst all the actors participating in the bioeconomy strategies, local practitioners play a crucial role in interpreting the narratives and implementing the policies in a way that makes sense for their local contexts. Hence, there is a need to understand how local and regional practitioners apply bioeconomy strategies to grasp how those are expressed in different regional contexts. Through the case studies of the forest-based bioeconomy in Catalonia and Finnish Lapland, this paper explains why economic narratives prevail in the local bioeconomy and how regional spatialities are affected by it. The cases show that the bioeconomy remains close to economic growth and is applied through regional economic development policies, thus focusing on specific economic sectors and hindering the role of the bioeconomy in a wider regional transformation. Understanding the narratives and how these reflect the spatialities help us to advance a spatially sensitive approach to the bioeconomy, this is, a bioeconomy practised according to the sociospatial conditions, closer to ideas of inclusivity, plurality and justice, and with a greater role in a wider regional transformation, rather than the greening of specific economic sectors.

How do sparsely populated regions innovate in green policies? What enables or limits such innovation? The green policy literature often focuses on core regions, while territorial innovation models have long ignored regional state innovation. In this article we examine the drivers of public sector innovation in green policies in peripheral regions, often considered unequipped. The data come from the case study of Finnish Lapland's Smart Specialisation Strategy in relation to promoting a forest-based bioeconomy. In a context where climate change has become a major global challenge, and sustainable development an additional responsibility for local and regional governments, this article contributes to understanding the rationales for innovation in green policies from a regional perspective. Drawing from institutional economic geography, we argue that top-down approaches (Smart Specialisation) combined with scale and place-specificity (personal connections, environmental fragility, political will and natural resources endowments) play an important role in driving the governments of sparsely populated regions to innovate when translating and implementing green policies.

Utgångspunkten för rapporten är två övergripande frågor: globaliseringen och klimatom- ställningen och hur dessa frågor påverkat näringslivsutvecklingen i Värmland. De fråge- ställningar som ligger till grund för studien är följande:

• Vilkaärdeavgörandefaktorersommedförenlyckadomställning,förvärmländska företag, till ett hållbart samhälle och en mer globaliserad omvärld?

• Hurbehandlasglobaliseringsfråganidestuderadevärmländskaföretagensstrategi- er, organisationsförändringar och vad det gäller anpassning av produktion och in- vesteringar?

• Hursersamspeletutmellanföretag,myndigheter,universitetochoffentligaorga- nisationer vad det gäller en lyckad anpassning till globaliseringens nya förutsätt- ningar?

• Vilken position har Värmland i pågående processer kring klimat- och energistrate- giskt arbete?

  Inledningsvis ges ett historiskt perspektiv på det värmländska näringslivets inriktning och konkurrenskraft. Därefter ges en översikt av innovationsteorier med särskilt fokus på ag- glomerationer, kluster och kreativa miljöer. En kritisk analys av tillförlitligheten hos klus- ter och klusterteorier genomförs med hjälp av ekonomisk och ekonomisk-geografisk forskning. Framväxten av värmländska kluster och regionala innovationssystem diskuteras därefter mot bakgrund av empiriska exempel.

  För att åskådliggöra globaliseringens effekter och det värmländska näringslivets an- passning och positionering till en hållbar samhällsutveckling har ett antal intervjuer ge- nomförts med företag, organisationer och myndigheter i Värmland. Intervjuerna visar att anpassningen till globaliseringen i det värmländska näringslivet är påtaglig och att inter- vjuade myndigheter och organisationer visar en tydlig öppenhet mot globaliserings- och hållbarhetsfrågor.

  Det lokala och regionala näringslivsarbetet i länet klargör att det finns uppenbara in- omregionala skillnader i förutsättningar för tillväxt. Det visar också att det är nödvändigt med ett samlat strategiarbete för att klara omställningsarbetet. Detta visar inte minst den senaste finanskrisen som slagit hårt, särskilt i vissa delar av länet. I rapporten visas med hjälp av statistiska data hur utvecklingen sett ut under den senaste tioårsperioden beträf- fande bland annat arbetsmarknad, ekonomisk utveckling och nyföretagande.

  På samma sätt ges i ett särskilt kapitel data för Värmland om olika indikatorer för en omställning mot en hållbar utveckling. Det värmländska arbetet med en energi- och kli- matstrategi visar en uppenbar vilja att arbeta för en omställning av det värmländska när- ingslivet. Strategin pekar på nödvändigheten av att minska beroendet av fossila bränslen och en övergång mot bioenergi och ökad energieffektivisering. Ett antal exempel ges på aktuella framtidsinriktade projekt och företag i länet.

  Avslutningsvis diskuteras hur samspelet mellan företag, myndigheter och organisationer ska kunna förbättras för att omställningen mot globalisering och hållbar utveckling ska kunna genomföras.

Studiens resultat ger följande slutsatser:

• Samverkanmellanföretag,myndigheterochuniversitet,TripleHelix,underlät- tar omställning till globalisering och hållbar utveckling

• Devärmländskaföretagenhargodanpassningsförmågaochäraktivaipågåen- de processer kring globalisering samt energi- och klimatstrategier

• Deintervjuadeföretagenpekarpåstyrkanmedplatsidentitetochlokalanätverk för att bli globalt konkurrenskraftiga

• Klusterföretagenskonkurrensförmågaiförhållandetillandraföretagärsvåratt påvisa 

In order to effectively manage transportation systems, and improve the attractiveness of public transport, public authorities, policymakers and researchers need a better understanding of the conditions necessary for improving attractiveness and those that can be considered sufficient. The purpose of this study is to expand the analytical toolbox of transportation research and introduce an analytical approach to identifying and distinguishing between the conditions that are necessary and sufficient for a desired outcome. Specifically, we suggest a complementary approach to combining partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) in order to examine which service quality attributes (functionality, information, security/safety, comfort, and cost) are sufficient, and what degree of satisfaction with these attributes is necessary for high overall travel satisfaction. The data consists of subjectively reported experiences from over 900 users of public transportation in four northern European countries. We find that, for high overall travel satisfaction, a minimum level of satisfaction with comfort (equal to 33.1%) is necessary. Furthermore, an increase in satisfaction with comfort, functionality/ reliability and cost is sufficient to improve overall travel satisfaction. This means that comfort is both a necessary and a sufficient condition, whereas functionality/reliability and cost are sufficient but non-necessary conditions in this context. We conclude that using this complementary approach can guide public transport managers and researchers in identifying important bottlenecks and establishing priorities for improving service quality, essential knowledge when developing effective strategies for attractive public transport services.

Turistindustrien vokser fra år til år. Samtidig øker konkurransen om de reisende, både i Norge og i resten av verden. Budor har primært sitt marked i Norge, og det er mange krevende oppgaver som venter, både når det gjelder markedsføring, innovasjon og annen utvikling. Det er de siste kategoriene vi har konsentrert oss om i denne vitenskaplige avhandlingen. Vi undersøker om forutsetningene ligger til rette for at Budor skal henge med i kampen om markedsandeler i framtida. Dette har vi gjort både ved å se på generelle og demografiske utviklingstrekk ved marked og befolkning, vi har sett konkret på reiselivsnæringa og hyttebygging. Vi har undersøkt hva som er trender og utviklingstendenser i reiselivet, og hva Budor kan levere i forhold til dette. Vi har sett på Triple Helixsamarbeidet som en drivkraft for innovasjon som Løiten Almenning bør benytte seg av, og til slutt har vi undersøkt og analysert det kreative klimaet og forutsetningene for innovasjon i organisasjonen bak Budor; Løiten Almenning.

Vi mener Budor har gode naturmessige forutsetninger for kreativitet og innovasjon, men for å få til dette kreves samarbeid og nettverksbygging, bl a med myndighetene, virkemiddelapparatet, FoU og destinasjonsselskapene, samt ikke minst tro på egne muligheter. Vi har lansert begrepet kvalitetsturisme!

Innlandet har flere klyngeinitiativ som blir fulgt opp og utviklet i regi av virkemiddelapparatet, herunder også Kunnskapsparkene. Kunnskapsparken Hedmark har bioforedling og kulturnæringer som fokusområder. I denne avhandlingen har vi valgt å presentere og belyse utfordringer knyttet til utviklingen av to ulike klyngeinitiativ, en på anvendt bioteknologi og en på musikk (pop/rock). Begge klyngeinitiativ er initiert og har sitt hovedsete i Hedmark, med tilknyttede aktører i Oppland, men også i andre regioner.

Fokuset på å utvikle regionale næringsklynger bunner først og fremst i behovet for at næringsaktører og FoU miljø i større grad samarbeider og samhandler for å øke konkurransekraften. Ved å initiere fellesprosjekter bidrar man til å øke verdiskapingen i regionen, konsekvensen blir at man løfter ulike fagmiljø til å bli mer attraktive og man kan slik lettere rekruttere ny arbeidskraft, flere studenter og på alle måter skape merverdi. Et regionalt klyngeinitiativ går aktivt inn i prosessen med å fjerne barrierer mellom de ulike aktørene, så som mellom næring og høgskole/universitet. Det handler om å smelte sammen ulike kulturer og synliggjøre verdien av samarbeid med tanke på synergier og økt nasjonal og internasjonal konkurransekraft. Målsettingen vil da være å bli en lærende region, dvs. et innovasjonssystem der alle barrierer er fraværende og kommunikasjonsflyten derved er svært god. Slik kan man ta ut merverdien og skape et godt innovasjonsmiljø.

Denne avhandlingen knytter arbeidet med klyngeutvikling opp til relevant teori og belyser slik de utfordringer man står overfor, systemisk og praktisk. I begynnelsen av utviklingsprosessen ligger det en forventning om sterkt offentlig engasjement, i forhold til ledelse og koordinering samt finansiering. Gjennom å gradvis få tettere dialog med de ulike næringsaktørene og evt. et FoU miljø ligger det en forventning om at næringsaktørene gradvis går inn mer aktivt i klyngeutviklingen, både med menneskelige ressurser og kapital. Forankringen hos de ulike aktørene og det å alliere seg med en respektert person som kan snakke varmt om klyngeprosessen er en kritisk suksessfaktor. Etter hvert som klyngeutviklingen blir mer kjent, forstått og akseptert kan klyngefasilitatoren rette blikket utover, fra det regionale til det nasjonale og etter hvert det internasjonale miljø.

I Norge finnes det to hovedprogrammer for klyngeutvikling, Arena og Norwegian Centres of Expertise. Arena er ment for de mer umodne miljøene, mens NCE programmet er tiltenkt de klyngene som har størst vekstpotensial og som gjør seg gjeldende i et internasjonalt marked. Denne avhandlingen presenterer to case; BIOINN som har avsluttet sin programperiode som Arenaprosjekt og nå står på egne ben på regionale offentlige og private midler, samt musikk-klyngen i Hedmark som er i tidlig fase i utviklingen, men har et stort potensial og er i god driv. Kravet til ledelse varierer i forhold til hvilket utviklingstrinn klyngen er i, og arbeidets grad av suksess er gjerne knyttet til at man ikke slipper fokus og er i aktiv dialog med alle aktørene. Man må kontinuerlig være på post og drive aktiv markedsføring, motiveringsarbeid og på ulike måter holde trykket og entusiasmen oppe.