KNOWLEDGE CENTER

As the Nordic knowledge center for genetic resources, NordGen participates in and leads projects, arranges outreach activities and shares information with relevant stakeholders concerning conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources important for food and agriculture. NordGen is also participating in several Nordic, European and International networks and commissions. 

 

Our most important tools for exchanging knowledge within the Nordic countries are our working groups and councils. The different working groups of NordGen Plants, the working group and the council of NordGen Forest and the council of NordGen Farm Animals are vital advisory groups consisting of experts within each field from all the Nordic countries. The Board of NordGen also provides valuable input and knowledge exchange.  Information is disseminated through our website nordgen.org, social media, project reports, press releases, arranged events, network meetings and targeted e-mails.  

In 2021, NordGen continued developing its competence within digitalization considerably. Video online meetings and seminars has increased the bridgebuilding over country borders, both internally and externally. Externally, our digital competence has enabled us to reach a wider audience that can take part in important knowledge sharing events concerning genetic resources without having to spend time and resources on travelling. It is expected that NordGen will continue to use these digital options at future events, after the pandemic. 

During the year the work with the new website continued. The site is now easier to navigate, more visually appealing and in accordance with the new European web accessibility rules. It also has, apart from a Scandinavian and English version, a Finnish version enabling us to reach members of a very important target group in their native tongue. 

During 2021, NordGen also conducted a digitization of the library in Alnarp and ensured a successful migration from the old system SESTO to the library system Koha. A classification system of international standard was also introduced and the catalog of the collection is now available online.

In May, the groundbreaking ceremony of NordGen's new main building and knowledge center was held. The house consists of 1.700 square meters spread over two floors filled with offices, modern lab premises and a 300 square meter big seed storage.

NordGen's old main building is an old warehouse, originally used for storing apples. The new facilities are adapted to a genebank's operations and will give NordGen's staff better conditions to carry out their work – at a time when these activities are more important than ever.

NordGen has high sustainability goals and in order for the building to have as small a climate footprint as possible. Therefore, the house is built of wood. The roof will also be equipped with both green sedum and solar cells that will generate around 60.000 kWh of green electricity each year and correspond to 100 percent of the building's property electricity and 35 percent of the business's energy use.

The construction of the new house was made possible thanks to the Swedish government, the Nordic Council of Ministers and Akademiska Hus.

In the following pages, our different sections and their activities in 2021 will be introduced in more detail.