Introduction

The SPEEDLOCAL project brings together municipalities and regional authorities across the Nordic countries to accelerate the transition towards carbon-neutral societies. Funded by Nordic Energy Research and coordinated by Energiforsk, the project focuses on developing practical methods that help regions plan and implement the green transition.

Challenge

Many municipalities and regional authorities face the same challenge: translating ambitious climate goals into concrete actions and investments. The SPEEDLOCAL project needed tools that could help diverse stakeholders explore future scenarios, align priorities, and discuss complex energy system transitions in a collaborative and engaging way. The ambition was not only to support the participating regions but also to develop methods that could later be scaled and adopted by municipalities across the Nordic region.

Solution

KIRT x THOMSEN developed an interactive workshop concept built around maps, illustrations, and physical game elements.

The tool enables participants to collaboratively explore future energy systems, infrastructure choices, and regional development opportunities through hands on dialogue and scenario building. The concept has been developed and tested with project partners including:

x Bornholm Municipality, Denmark

x Trøndelag County Municipality, Norway

x Skaraborg Association of Local Authorities, Sweden

x Vara Municipality, Sweden

The first phase focuses on exploration, stakeholder engagement, and methodology development. In the next phase, KIRT x THOMSEN will contribute to transforming the learnings into practical guidelines, toolkits, and strategy frameworks that can be used by other municipalities and regions planning their own green transition journeys.

Materials overview provided at the workshops

2D and 3D supports for the group sessions

Workshop in Trøndelag

Workshop in Bornholm

Workshop in Vara

Result

The project has successfully established a common platform for dialogue between municipalities, regions, and other stakeholders working on the future energy system. By making complex energy and climate challenges tangible and interactive, the workshop tools have enabled participants to engage in more informed discussions and develop shared visions for carbon-neutral regional development.

As the project progresses, the methodology is expected to become a scalable strategy toolkit that can support municipalities and regions across the Nordic countries in planning and implementing their green transition efforts.

To learn more, feel free to reach out to: Rune Kirt, CEO of KIRT x THOMSEN at rune@kirt-thomsen.com.