Themes
The overarching theme for NSM26 will be “Change is the only constant.” Below are the conference’s four sub-themes, within which it is possible to submit abstracts and papers.
#1 New Data Sources
The landscape for data is changing rapidly, offering new opportunities for official statistics. Traditional surveys and registers are increasingly complemented – or challenged – by new types of data such big data from private actors. This session explores how new data sources can be harnessed to strengthen the relevance, timeliness, and perhaps quality of official statistics.
Key themes include:
- Access to and collaboration with private data holders
- Data quality assessment
- Legal, cost, and trust-related issues
- How are the Nordic countries making use of new data sources in practice?
#2 Product Development
The sessions is about innovation in Official Statistics. The demand for official statistics is expanding and diversifying, while statistical organisations face constant pressure to be more efficient, agile, and user-oriented. Meeting these demands requires innovation in both statistical products and production processes. This session looks at how innovation can drive efficiency, improve quality, and open new possibilities for delivering value to society.Key themes include:
- Development of new statistical products and services
- Building innovation capacity and culture within organisations
- Re-thinking the NSIs’ role in society: how to respond to new user demands and develop new services
- How are the Nordic countries fostering product and process innovation aimed at addressing the new demands?
#3 Dissemination and Communication
In an era of information overload, the way official statistics are disseminated and communicated is more important than ever. Citizens, media, businesses, and policymakers all need trustworthy, clear, and timely information – while facing the risk of misinformation and declining trust.
This session examines how NSIs can strengthen communication and delivery strategies to ensure impact and maintain credibility.
Key themes include:
- Communication strategies to counter information overload and strengthen trust
- Visualization techniques for wider audiences
- Personalization and new channels for delivering data services
- Ensuring accessibility and inclusiveness for diverse user groups
- How are the Nordic countries rethinking communication and delivery of official statistics?
#4 Modernising the Production of Statistics
The production of official statistics is undergoing significant transformation, driven by technological advances, new data sources, growing user demands and budget constraints.This session explores how statistical organisations are modernising their production systems to stay relevant and become more efficient, resilient, and future-proof
Key themes include:
- Automation and the use of new technologies, including AI
- Transition from local systems to cloud-based solutions
- Skill requirements (programming, agile, business architects etc.)
- Automated validation and error correction
- How are the Nordic countries addressing this challenge?
