Building a Resilient Baltic Sea Region – Perspectives and Possibilities

Building a Resilient Baltic Sea Region – Perspectives and Possibilities”
Follow-up to the 2024 Annual Forum | Visby, 17–18 June 2025

The 2025 follow-up meeting in Visby focused on enhancing resilience and preparedness across the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), as part of the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). The event gathered stakeholders from government, academia, civil society, and business to foster cooperation and shared learning.

Day 1 – Tuesday, 17 June

• Opening remarks by Anna Hagström (EUSBSR National Coordinator) and Charlotte Petri Gornitzka (Governor of Gotland).

• Panel discussion on the state of the BSR, addressing current challenges and the importance of strengthening resilience.

• Introduction to workshops led by Policy Area Coordinators for Energy, Bioeconomy, and Security, alongside Region Gotland.

• Parallel group sessions began, focusing on four themes:

  1. Sustainable energy supply

  2. Resilient food systems

  3. Resilience of critical societal functions

  4. Resilience at the individual level
     These groups also explored ways to involve Ukraine in regional cooperation.

• Panel on preparedness and crisis management, featuring civil society, youth, businesses, and public authorities, discussed collaboration, current readiness, and future needs.

• Session on lessons from Ukraine, exploring how to maintain essential services during crises, with insights from Ukrainian and Swedish experts.

• Concluded with a reception at the Governor’s Residence.

Day 2 – Wednesday, 18 June

• Panel on emergency preparedness, examining challenges of goal conflicts, priority-setting, and coordination in crisis scenarios. Speakers included policymakers and researchers from Denmark, Latvia, and Sweden.

• Final group sessions to synthesize discussions and outline next steps for regional cooperation.

• Closing remarks followed by lunch.

Key Themes:

• Building regional resilience through multi-level cooperation

• Learning from Ukraine’s experience under crisis

• Securing energy, food, and critical services

• Enhancing individual and community preparedness

• Aligning priorities across sectors and borders for effective crisis response