History
The Swedish National Rural Development Agency, the Swedish National Board for Industrial and Technical Development and the Swedish Institute for Growth Policy Studies were closed on 31 March 2009. The three authorities were replaced with two new ones – the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and Growth Analysis, the Swedish Agency for Growth Policy Analysis. The new agencies also took over the responsibilities of the Swedish Consumer Agency in the area of commercial service.
The government’s intention was to create more cohesive work in policy areas of strategic importance as regards national and regional competitiveness.
History of the Swedish National Rural Development Agency
The agency was set up as the National Rural Area Development Authority in 1991 to continue to develop the work begun by the government’s rural area delegation. The authority changed its name to the Swedish National Rural Development Agency in 1995. The agency was based in Östersund from the very beginning.
The Swedish National Rural Development Agency monitored and reported on development in Sweden’s sparsely-populated areas, rural areas and archipelagos, working by government commission under the supervision of the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications.
The agency’s commission was to “promote good living conditions and development opportunities for people in sparsely populated and rural areas with an emphasis on the forest counties’ inland areas and the archipelagos”.
Directors-General:
Marianne Ståhlberg 1991–1998
Pia Enochsson 1998–2003
Kerstin Wallin 2004–2009
History of the Swedish Institute for Growth Policy Studies
The Swedish Institute for Growth Policy Studies (ITPS) was a government administrative authority tasked with contributing to an incisive growth policy. The institute’s head office was in Östersund.
The ITPS was founded on 1 January 2001, when the authority took over the duties and responsibilities of the then Swedish Institute for Regional Research. In 2001, the ITPS took over responsibility for the activities previously conducted by the Technical and Scientific Service (STATT).
Directors-General:
Sture Öberg 2001–2007
Brita Saxton 2007–2009