2025 October 30
Across Europe, many regions are facing shrinking populations, ageing workforces, and uneven access to opportunities. At the same time, migration flows are reshaping local labour markets and community dynamics. While some regions attract new talent and investment, others risk losing key skills and vitality. How can regions turn population decline into a driver of renewal?
A tool to support policy action
On 21 October, members of the
Resilient Regions Expert Group met online for the second testing workshop of the PREMIUM_EU Regional Policy Dashboard, an interactive tool that integrates regional policies, migrant stories, development and mobility data in one place. The Dashboard helps regions compare, explore trends and practical policy options for adressing demographic and economic challenges.
The Resilient Regions Expert Group is a forum for regional policymakers and close stakeholders across Europe to test and contribute to the dashboard design before its public launch in March 2026. The two-hour session on 21 October focused on usability testing and user experience. The participants, representing various regions in
Finland, Spain, Iceland, Scotland, Romania, Ukraine, Sweden and the Netherlands, were invited to explore the Dashboard’s three data portals and give feedback on how these can better support local and regional decision-making.
Following an introduction by workshop host Anne Katrine Ebbesen, participants were given a “cold” testing exercise; no guided tour, just hands-on exploration. This method would tell us how intuitively user-friendly the Dashboard is. The participants worked through regional scenarios designed to reflect real-life challenges policymakers face, such as how to attract eco-minded residents to a rural region, how to bridge gaps between innovation hubs and surrounding towns, or how to strengthen youth engagement in development planning.
In breakout groups, participants navigated the Dashboard to find migration data, development indicators, and relevant policy examples. The exercise sparked lively discussions about usability and policy relevance.
“It’s intuitive and visually clear,” one participant noted, “but we need the option to save or download filtered results for future work.”
Others highlighted the potential of the platform as a comparative policy tool:
“The comparative aspect is what makes this unique. Finding ‘sister regions’ facing similar challenges opens new possibilities for collaboration.”
What works and what’s missing
The plenary discussion that followed offered constructive insights on functionality, data coverage, and conceptual framing.
Several participants appreciated the mix of quantitative indicators and qualitative migrant quotes, noting that the latter “add an important relational dimension” beyond the economic lens, essential for understanding both the statistical and human sides of migration. A participant observed that “for highly rural areas, development isn’t just about jobs. It’s about social connection and belonging.”
Others emphasised the need to show long-term trends, link migration to labour demand projections, and refine the language around population decline to avoid negative framing.
“We’ve heard repeatedly from policymakers that decline isn’t always negative,” said Anne Katrine. “Our goal is to showcase policies that help regions live with change and redefine what resilience means.”
Participants also called for more practical functions, such as side-by-side region comparison, visibility of national borders, and keyword search across policies. The team confirmed that these features are already planned for the next development phase.
Migration insights and data clarity
When asked about the migration and development indicators, participants found them highly relevant for regional planning, especially when combined with projections of working-age and retirement-age populations.
“In Finland, population projections are the basis of most regional policies,” said a migration expert participant based in Helsinki. “It’s crucial that the dashboard can show both internal and international migration, and how these link to labour markets.”
Meanwhile, others suggested integrating external migrant survey data and adding date stamps to quotes to enhance credibility and transparency.
From testing to refinement
All in all, the feedback during the second workshop focused on practical improvements to match policy needs. Some members also encouraged making positive language around “living with decline” more visible — reflecting a shift from crisis thinking to resilience building. The workshop concluded with a “name the Dashboard” vote with “Resilient Regions Dashboard” and “European Regional Attractiveness Portal” emerging as favourites.
As participants signed up for the next testing round and upcoming events, the atmosphere was one of shared ownership and anticipation.
The next testing phase will integrate additional data and user improvements before the Dashboard’s final launch at the PREMIUM_EU conference in March 2026.
Join the network and contribute to research!
The Resilient Regions Expert Group is open to regional policymakers, planners, and development experts across Europe who want to take part in the co-creation process. Members can:
Test new versions of the Dashboard and contribute to its design.
Access exclusive European data and policy exchange before the public launch in 2026
Join a growing international network of regional experts.
Share your region’s experience and learn from others facing similar demographic trends.
The third workshop is already scheduled for 18 November, focusing this time on the migration and integration function of the dashboard.
If your work involves demographic policy, regional development, or mobility, this is your opportunity to help shape how Europe understands and responds to population change.
Learn more and sign up here: Join the network
