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UNIC Methodology and Innovation Gaps Report
FREIIA, Facilitating Resilience Embracing Islands Innovation, is a INTERREG project financed by the European Union running from 1. October 2022 until 31. December 2025. The project consists of 14 partners from 6 countries, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France and Norway.
The aim of this project is to help 6 island communities in the European Union to create competences, capabilities & structures that support the public sector in becoming successful in the green transition, through the involvement of community, young entrepreneurs and students.(«FREIIA», u.å.)
Østfold University College is responsible for Work Package 4 (WP4), which focuses on fostering student entrepreneurship. The main objective of WP4 is to integrate entrepreneurship students into the strategic governance of island innovation, strengthening their role in green transitions. When referring to the FREIIA project in this paper, it refers to WP4 of the FREIIA project.
The following paper describes the process of determining the innovation gaps on Schiermonnikoog in the Netherlands using students form the participating universities and stakeholders from the islands. The next step will be to resolve the gaps by finding new solutions created by innovative methods like design thinking.
Design thinking and Co-creation Report
FREIIA (Facilitating Resilience Embracing Islands Innovation Approaches) is an INTERREG North Sea Region project funded by the European Union, aimed at enhancing resilience and innovation capacity in island communities across six countries. (FREIIA FREIIA | Interreg North Sea, u.å.)
Østfold University College is responsible for Work Package 4 (WP4), which focuses on fostering student entrepreneurship. The main objective of WP4 is to integrate entrepreneurship students into the strategic governance of island innovation, strengthening their role in green transitions. When referring to the FREIIA project in this paper, it refers to WP4 of the FREIIA project.
In the first phase of this project, we identified innovation gaps on the island of Schiermonnikoog, Netherlands, through semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from the public, private, and civil sectors. Key challenges included limited cross-sector collaboration, an aging population, and insufficient platforms for community engagement.
This paper presents the next phase of the project, which uses design thinking and the double diamond framework to co-create solutions to the identified challenges through workshops. Initiatives include a Mobile Innovation Hub to facilitate entrepreneurship, community-centered educational programs, and new digital platforms to enhance municipal-citizen dialogue. This study offers a model for fostering sustainable development through collaboration, creativity, and local ownership and offers a model for other island communities facing similar challenges.
The interviews and process Report
FREIIA, Facilitating Resilience Embracing Islands Innovation, is a INTERREG project financed by the European Union running from 1. October 2022 until 31. December 2025. The project consists of 14 partners from 6 countries, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France and Norway.
The aim of this project is to help 6 island communities in the European Union to create competences, capabilities & structures that support the public sector in becoming successful in the green transition, through the involvement of community, young entrepreneurs and students.(FREIIA FREIIA | Interreg North Sea, u.å.)
Østfold University College is responsible for Work Package 4 (WP4), which focuses on fostering student entrepreneurship. The main objective of WP4 is to integrate entrepreneurship students into the strategic governance of island innovation, strengthening their role in green transitions. When referring to the FREIIA project in this paper, it refers to WP4 of the FREIIA project.
The following section focuses on identifying innovation gaps in Schiermonnikoog, Netherlands, using interviews with local stakeholders and students from participating universities. Stakeholders were engaged through targeted outreach via local networks and direct invitations, ensuring diverse input. Students played an active role in conducting semi-structured interviews, gathering insights from community members, businesses, and the municipality. The interviews highlighted key challenges related to sustainable development and cross-sector collaboration, which will inform the next phase of the project, where design thinking methods will be applied to develop solutions.
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