About Leader Gute
Leader Gute is one of the Swedish areas included in the national programme of community led local development using the LEADER approach 2023-2027. During the programme period, we will implement our development strategy using the vision “Gotland – a creative island with room for a full life”.
Our vision: Gotland – a creative island
with room for a full life
Our vision: Gotland – a creative island with room for a full life.
This local development strategy is a crucial tool that, together with other local and regional strategies and action plans, bring all of us who live on Gotland closer to the fulfillment of our vision.
Gotland is the only region in Sweden that is characterised by being an island region. The insularity entails both challenges and possibilities within most fields. The geographical location sets the terms for how the Gotlanders can engage and act for a prosperous development and growth. The insularity constitutes a foundation for a strong regional Gotlandic identity.
The insularity entails a special vulnerability when it comes to aspects of critical infrastructure, such as supply of energy, water and food. Being an island far off from the mainland, also means that Gotland constitutes a labour market region on its own. This means that other regions’ range of services and working opportunities are not available to most Gotlanders to the same extent as it is to mainlanders.
The geographical scope of the LEADER-area, the Gotland countryside, is made up of vibrant types of countryside with a strong brand that is associated with quality and unspoiled scenery. Natural and cultural amenities can be used even better to strengthen the development in the various types of Gotlandic countryside.
Sustainability is both a challenge and an opportunity for Gotland to be brimming with vitality and creativity. Sustainability comes in all forms, that is socially, economically, and environmentally. The challenge and the opportunities lie in the fact that we work together to achieve our three goals for Gotland:
- Gotland is an innovative growth region with development capacity
- Gotland is a safe and an inclusive society with good quality of life for all
- Gotland is a role model in the energy and climate transition
Locally led development through the LEADER-method is a successful way to initiate, implement and manage development initiatives. Through integrative measures, comprehensive multi-level collaboration between the non-profit, private, and public sectors, innovative approaches and exchanges between local, regional, national and international stakeholders, the LEADER-method mechanisms ascertain that it is the local needs and challenges that steer towards sustainable development.
A vital rural region
From a Swedish perspective, Gotland is a living/lively/vital rural region with belief in the future and a strong external brand, nationally as well as internationally, often connected with high quality and untouched nature. However, nature and cultural resources can be used in a better way to further strengthen economical growth. One challenge is to create sustainable growth through the three important pillars: socially, economically and ecologically.
Through broad cooperation between non-profit, private and public sectors, through innovative approaches and through exchange with different performers nationally and internationally including science, community-led local development will make a difference in the long-term strive to make Gotland a better place for many more.
The vision states “Gotland – together – for sustainable growth, involvement and zest for life becomes so much better!” The overall goal for the Gotland strategy is “Smart and sustainable growth for all”, which is part of the EU 2020 strategy for growth. Gotland has potential to contribute to the European competitiveness, however it is important to make use of that potential for all levels, not the least when it comes to the power that lies within the people who live and work around the island.
The Gotland strategy comprises all four European funds and integration between them will be used to widen the perspectives within social, economical and ecological areas. A comprehensive view will make it possible to secure synergy effects and better use from invested project funding. The leader office will for example have continuous reconciliation with other regional development actors. The relative regional proximity on Gotland and the broad approach with participants from all three sectors throughout the strategy development, gives us good possibilities to secure those synergy effects.
The analyses behind the strategy points out some general areas like sustainable entrepreneurship, preconditions for living and working, conditions for an attractive environment in the near-by surrounding area, social community and possibilities for having influence regardless of individual ways and means, as well as adaptation to an energy-saving and climate neutral economy.
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