7 October 2026

Connecting People, Regions and Europe

The Scandria Alliance brought an inspiring programme to Connecting Europe Days 2026, including a seminar, General Assembly, exhibition and urban nodes workshop.

Wider benefits of cross-border transport infrastructure

On 28 September 2026, the Scandria Alliance hosted the high-level seminar “Connecting People. Connecting Regions. Connecting Europe: Wider benefits of cross-border transport infrastructure” at the European Committee of the Regions. Representatives from European institutions, national and regional governments, metropolitan areas, research organisations and the transport sector discussed the economic, territorial and strategic benefits of large-scale cross-border infrastructure, with a focus on Northern Europe.

Drawing on the example of the Vaasa region, Riitta Björkenheim, Development Director at VASEK, highlighted Northern Europe’s role as a provider of technology, particularly for the energy sector, as well as raw materials. Realising this potential requires effective, reliable and secure cross-border connections.
Hans Tino Hansen, CEO and Founder of Risk Intelligence, stressed the need to address infrastructure bottlenecks that could hinder military mobility in a crisis. The significant logistical requirements of military operations underline the importance of increasing capacity and accelerating the movement of goods and people across Europe.
Anders Jungar of PBI Research Institute explained how Wider Economic Impact (WEI) analysis can capture effects that conventional cost-benefit analysis may overlook, including impacts on productivity, labour markets and business activity.
Mathias Lindström, Director of the Kvarken Council EGTC, presented findings from a Lund University study on the effects of the Öresund Fixed Link on trade. The study, conducted by Maria Persson, Associate Professor at Lund University, found that trade between Denmark and Sweden increased by 25% between 2001 and 2008 – an increase comparable to the growth in trade following Sweden’s accession to the European Union.

Perspectives from across Europe

A subsequent panel discussion brought perspectives from Brandenburg, the Brenner Base Tunnel and the Milan metropolitan region.
Robert Crumbach, Minister for Infrastructure and Federal State Planning of Brandenburg, emphasised the importance of reliable financing models and strong commitment from all Member States for efficient cross-border transport.
Marco Griguolo, Transport Councillor of the Metropolitan City of Milan and President of METREX, highlighted the need for a territorial approach that reflects the different needs of stakeholders in and around metropolitan areas.
Julia Gruber, Head of Communications at BBT SE, stressed the importance of considering the wider effects of major infrastructure projects, including shifting freight from road to rail and reducing travel times between neighbouring countries.
The panel agreed that dialogue across administrative and governance levels is essential for assessing the wider benefits of major transport infrastructure. Cross-border projects require strong cooperation and commitment from all stakeholders involved.

Panel discussion with Robert Crumbach, Julia Gruber and Marco Griguolo (from left to right)

Strengthening strategic connectivity in Northern Europe

The day concluded with the evening reception “Strengthening strategic cross-border connectivity in Northern Europe – advancing the TEN-T network between the Nordic and Baltic cities.” The Finnish Growth Triangle Helsinki–Tampere–Turku presented its vision for improved connections within the region and to Europe through the Scandinavian–Mediterranean and North Sea–Baltic European Transport Corridors.
Tuija Telén, Regional Mayor of Helsinki-Uusimaa, and Jyri Arponen, Regional Mayor of Southwest Finland, presented plans for new cross-border connections between Helsinki and Tallinn and between Turku, Åland and Stockholm. Contributions from MEP Jüri Ratas and Gabriele Giudice, from the Cabinet of European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, complemented the discussion. The speakers agreed that stronger connections are key to strengthening the Single Market, European competitiveness and resilience.

Urban nodes at the core of TEN-T

On 1 October, the Scandria Alliance, POLIS and the BSR Urban Mobility project platform organised the POLIS–Scandria Alliance–BSR Workshop “Urban Nodes at the core of TEN-T”. The workshop focused on the role of cities and urban nodes as key hubs within the European transport network and on the need to strengthen their functionality and connectivity. In a panel discussion, representativces of local, regional, national, macroregional and EU levels dicussed how to make multi-level governance work to improve the interface between trans-European and local mobility systems. INteractive group dicsussions with participants focused on questions of funding SUMP implementation in urban nodes, urban nodes as players in corridor governance and TEN-T relevant infrastructure in urban nodes.

Interactive group discussion during the urban nodes workshop

Connecting Europe Days Exhibition

From 29 September to 1 October, the Scandria Alliance was also present with its own stand in the Connecting Europe Days Exhibition Area, showcasing projects and initiatives from across the Alliance and providing an opportunity to exchange with partners, policymakers and visitors from throughout Europe.
The importance of connectivity was also strongly reflected in the official programme of the Connecting Europe Days. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underlined that connecting people and strengthening Europe’s resilience and competitiveness require a truly connected Europe.
Representatives of European institutions and Member States highlighted the need for close cooperation with the military to ensure that Europe’s transport network is capable of responding effectively to security threats and crises. Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas reaffirmed his determination to advance common European passenger rights and the development of a high-speed rail network.
Representatives of cities and regions likewise called for stronger engagement to improve the functionality of urban nodes as the core hubs of the European transport network.

New members join the Scandria Alliance

The internal General Assembly meeting held on 28 September also marked an important milestone for the Scandria Alliance.
Akershus County, represented by Håkon Snortheim, County Councillor for Transport, was admitted as a new full member of the Scandria Alliance.

Håkon Snortheim, County Councillor for Transport of Akershus County, during the General Assembly meeting

Vestfold County, represented by County Mayor Anne Strømøy, was admitted as an observer to the Alliance, liaising the Scandria Alliance with the Green Jutland Corridor network.

Åsa Ågren Wikström (left), Chair of the Scandria Alliance, and Anne Strømøy (right), County Mayor of Vestfold County, during the General Assembly meeting

The growing membership underlines the continued relevance of the Scandria Alliance as a platform for strengthening cross-border cooperation and connectivity in Northern Europe.

Connecting Europe through cooperation

Across its activities at the Connecting Europe Days, the Scandria Alliance demonstrated the importance of cooperation across borders, levels of governance and sectors.
From regional connectivity and economic impacts to military mobility, urban nodes and the future of the TEN-T network, the discussions highlighted a common message: Europe’s connectivity depends on strong cross-border cooperation and infrastructure that serves people, regions and the European economy as a whole.

Connecting Europe Days General Assembly