Bjørn Vidar Vangelsten

• Industrial development and food systems

• Climate, nature and energy transition

• Public safety and emergency preparedness

• The welfare society

Researcher with expertise in green transition, climate risk and sustainable social systems

Bjørn Vidar Vangelsten er seniorforsker ved Nordlandsforskning med mer enn 25 års erfaring fra forskning og forskningsforvaltning nasjonalt og internasjonalt. Han har en tverrfaglig bakgrunn med doktorgrad i geoteknikk, master i ingeniørfag og en MBA i økologisk økonomi. Hans arbeid spenner over temaer som bærekraftig utvikling og livskvalitet, sirkulær økonomi, klimarisiko, matsystemer og naturfare. Han jobber med både kvantitative og kvalitattive metoder og systemtenkning. 

Competence

Bjørn Vidar has broad expertise in green transformation, climate risk, sustainable food systems and natural hazard management. He works interdisciplinary at the intersection of technical, economic and social science approaches, and has led several research projects related to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, local food and the circular economy.

Han har også utviklet verktøy og indikatorer for bærekraft, klimarisiko og livskvalitet. Hans arbeid er preget av en sterk evne til å koble forskning og praksis.

Education and work experience

Bjørn Vidar holds a PhD in geotechnical engineering from NTNU (1997), a Master of Science in civil engineering from NTH (1992), and an MBA in ecological economics from Nord University (2017). He has also completed education in development studies at NMBU.

Han har tidligere jobbet i EU-kommisjonen, Norges forskningsråd og Norges Geotekniske Institutt, samt drevet egen konsulentvirksomhet innen miljø og utvikling. Siden 2016 har han vært seniorforsker ved Nordlandsforskning, hvor han har ledet og deltatt i flere store prosjekter med både nasjonal og internasjonal forankring.

Projects and publications

Bjørn Vidar has been a project manager or work package manager for a number of projects, including TransAdapt, GreenPace Noradapt, CityLoops (EU Horizon 2020), REMAFISK, and Clim-Tour. He has worked on municipal climate adaptation strategies in Nordland and Troms and circular economy, sustainable food systems, and implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, reports and book chapters on topics such as marine litter, societal vulnerability and risk to natural hazards, and sustainable transport. His work is cited in both research communities and policy processes.

Lectures and dissemination

Bjørn Vidar is an active communicator and has participated in a number of national and international conferences, such as EGU, ISOCARP and High North Dialogue. He has presented research findings to Norwegian ministries, municipalities, the EU Commission and in international research networks.

He teaches and gives guest lectures on topics related to sustainability, circular economy and climate risk, and has disseminated research both through panel debates and in radio programs.

Here you can read my CV.

• SHOPPING LOCATION Northern Norway

• Kompetansemegling Forregion Nordland

• Food and Opportunities: Learning Process and Research Dissemination about Local Food

• Climate and environmental vulnerability analysis for Nordland County Municipality

• Transadapt

• GreenPace Noradapt

• Sustainable tourism in Svalbard – a Balancing Act

• Field of goals: Co-production and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in regional and local planning

• From goals to meaning to action: Co-production of knowledge to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals in regional and local planning

• The statistical basis for the introduction of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals in service and community development in Nordland

• The economic barometer for Northern Norway

• HAVPLAST - Marine plastic from the Norwegian seafood industry - mapping, quantification and action

• RE-D-USE

• Green

• Clim-Tour

• CityLoops (EU Horizon 2020)

• Målkonflikter i bærekraftsarbeid

Here you can read my publications in NVA.