Leading Media Houses and Cultural Figures Unite in a New Initiative to Strengthen Nordic Unity and Public Discourse

With the initiative NORD 55°, a group of prominent cultural and media leaders from across the Nordic region is joining forces to create a new project aimed at strengthening a shared Nordic public sphere. Today marks the release of the first edition of a newsletter, which will be published regularly in the lead-up to the annual NORD 55° summit, set to take place for the first time in Copenhagen in 2026.

NORD 55° is an alliance of leading Nordic cultural and media figures, including JP/Politiken (DK), Amedia (NO), and Bonnier News (SE), along with the Finnish association Konstsamfundet. The Nordic Culture Fund has supported the launch of this initiative. Its ambition is to bolster Nordic democracy and debate culture, creating a new infrastructure for cultural and societal debate across the Nordic countries:

“With democracy under pressure in many parts of the world—and the United States turning increasingly inward—it’s crucial for us in the Nordic countries to focus on strengthening our shared democratic and cultural values. Now, as the Nordic region stands united in a single peacekeeping defense alliance for the first time in history, we have a moment—a window of opportunity—to prepare ourselves for a changing world and to inspire greater artistic freedom of expression and critical debate among Nordic thought leaders. Through NORD 55°, we hope to establish a new and critical public forum, inspired by writers, artists, thinkers, and decision-makers from across the Nordic countries, based on shared reflection and open dialogue” Say the initiators of NORD 55°: Hilde Sandvik, Stig Ørskov, Christian Have, and Lise Bach Hansen.

Nordic Summit in 2026
With the backing of several influential Nordic cultural figures and media houses, NORD 55° aims to create an annual summit to be held alternately in Nordic cities. The ambition is for the summit to be the venue where the best ideas are shared, the sharpest analyses are communicated, and the greatest visions in a shared Nordic context come to life.

“The core idea is that it is through the interaction between culture, science, and business that we create the new ideas and solutions necessary for a sustainable future. Our ambition is to establish a meeting place where thought leaders from across the Nordic region can come together” explains Lise Bach Hansen, project manager for NORD 55°.

The first summit will take place in Copenhagen in 2026, where key figures from the arts, literature, science, media, and tech industries will gather over two days to debate societal issues.

As a prelude to the summit, NORD 55° is launching the first of six annual newsletters today, offering readers insights into the Nordic debate landscape. With a shared vision of strengthening dialogue, voices from the NORD 55° initiative will inspire readers through recommendations, insights, and perspectives on Nordic social and cultural life. The newsletter will be available in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland starting today.

Representatives from the Nordic Regions
The founding group behind NORD 55° includes Lise Bach Hansen, head of the International Authors’ Stage at the Royal Danish Library; journalist and author Hilde Sandvik (NO); Stig Kirk Ørskov, CEO of JP/Politikens Hus; and Christian Have, cultural and media advisor and founder of Have Kommunikation.

Additionally, a steering committee composed of businesspeople, journalists, and creative professionals will ensure diversity, geographical, and professional representation.

For further information, please contact:
Anja Linnet // anja@have.dk // +45 22 65 53 48
Rose Daugaard Knudsen // rose@have.dk // +45 20 90 20 23

Best regards,
HAVE Kommunikation

Facts about NORD 55°

The founders of NORD 55° include Lise Bach Hansen, Hilde Sandvik, Stig Kirk Ørskov, and Christian Have:

Lise Bach Hansen has extensively engaged with the intersection of art, culture, and politics in her career. She leads one of the Nordic region’s major live stages: the International Authors’ Stage at the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen and works in various Nordic settings as a curator and moderator. She serves on several boards in both Denmark and Sweden.

Hilde Sandvik is a journalist, author, and board member of Amedia. She is the founder of the radio show Norsken, svensken og dansken broadcast on DR, NRK, and SR. A former culture and debate editor at Bergens Tidende, she co-founded the project Support not protect, aimed at combatting social control among immigrant youth.

Stig Kirk Ørskov is CEO of JP/Politikens Hus and Vice President of the World Association of News Publishers. He is a board member of the Danish Chamber of Commerce and the Confederation of Danish Employers, a former editor-in-chief at Politiken and co-author of several books on business and society.

Christian Have is a cultural and media advisor and founder of HAVE Kommunikation, a central figure in Danish cultural debate. Since 1983, he has worked with both emerging talents and global stars and has authored several books on culture and communication, including Responsibility or Anarchy and Artificial Intelligence.

Steering Committee:
The committee includes Stefan Björkman (FI), Lotta Edling (SE), Christian Have (DK), Svend Hardenberg (GL), Lasse Horne Kjældgaard (DK), Gunvor Kronman (FI), Thure Lindhardt (DK), Benny Marcel (SE), Hilde Sandvik (NO), Kathrine Tschemerinsky (DK), Stig Kirk Ørskov (DK), Yacir Persson-Chelbat (SE), Mona Ibrahim Ahmed (NO), Bodil Kjelstrup (NO), and Lise Bach Hansen (DK).

About JP/Politikens Hus
One of Denmark’s leading media companies, JP/Politikens Hus publishes a range of news media, magazines, and niche media. The company owns Ekstra Bladet, Politiken, and Jyllands-Posten and runs publishing and media operations in Norway, Sweden, Germany, and the UK, aiming to equip citizens with facts and knowledge for active participation in democratic society.

About Amedia
Amedia is a foundation-owned media group and Norway's largest publisher of editorial media. Its outlets reach over two million readers daily through more than 100 local, regional, and national titles. Amedia also co-owns 55 local and regional media outlets in Sweden through a partnership with Bonnier News and employs more than 2,100 people.

About Bonnier News
Bonnier News is Sweden's leading news group and publishes Dagens Nyheter, Expressen, and Dagens Industri, among other titles. Through Bonnier News Local, the group is also the largest publisher of local and regional media in Sweden. Bonnier News also operates a number of media outlets in Finland, including the Swedish-language Hufvudstadsbladet, where Bonnier News is the majority owner, as well as Bonnier News Finland in Ostrobothnia. Bonnier News also includes a range of international business media. Bonnier News' mission, as one of the Nordic region's leading media companies, is to help both individuals and organizations function in a democratic society.

About Konstsamfundet
Konstsamfundet’s primary mission is to support culture, education, and innovation in Finland, aiming for a better future. The association funds visual arts, film, literature, music, and theater, and promotes a rich and varied cultural life for the Swedish-speaking population in Finland. Konstsamfundet is a co-owner of Hufvudstadsbladet as well as the newspapers Västra Nyland, Borgåbladet, and Hbl Junior. Konstsamfundet also supports vocational education and owns several art museums, including Amos Rex in Helsinki.