herinvesteringen

Herinvesteringen is a term used in Nordic policy discourse to describe investment activities anchored in a specific locality with the aim of strengthening the local economy, creating inclusive growth, and increasing resilience to economic shocks. It emphasizes place-based effects and local decision-making in prioritizing projects.

Linguistically, the word blends her (here/local) with investeringen (the investment) in Norwegian and Danish usage. It is used in policy and academic writings to denote place-based investment strategies, but it is not a formal, universally defined policy; its meaning can vary across contexts and over time.

Typical forms of herinvesteringen include investments in infrastructure, housing, energy efficiency, small and medium-sized enterprises, workforce training, and public services delivered through public-private partnerships or community funds. The approach often links financing decisions to local governance, stakeholder participation, and efforts to anchor spending in the community where the benefits are expected to accrue.

Rationale for the concept rests on anticipated local multiplier effects, improved productivity, and reduced leakage of spending to other regions. Evaluation commonly relies on economic impact assessments, cost-benefit analyses, and measures of social outcomes such as job creation, affordable housing, and skills development. Data considerations may include local GDP, employment quality, and resident well-being.

Critiques of herinvesteringen note risks of selective or biased project choices, uneven capacity across municipalities, potential distortions of competition, and challenges in scaling pilot successes. Proponents counter that careful design, transparent governance, and robust evaluation can mitigate these concerns and improve regional resilience.

See also: place-based policy, local economic development, regional policy, impact investing.