Heidi Vironen

Heidi Vironen serves as a Senior Knowledge Exchange and Research Fellow at the European Policies Research Centre (EPRC) within the University of Strathclyde's School of Government and Public Policy. She concurrently holds leadership roles as co-Director of the IQ-Net consortium (spanning 13 countries) and Shadow Director of EPRC Delft Board at TU Delft, focusing on EU regional policy implementation and Arctic development.

Her educational background includes:

• Post Graduate Certificate in European Studies, Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE), 2005
• Master of Arts in European Management Studies, University of Aberdeen, 2002
• Erasmus exchange, University of Applied Sciences Kufstein, 2001

Vironen specializes in regional and rural development with concentrated expertise in Arctic and Northern European contexts. Her research examines territorial cooperation mechanisms, multi-dimensional sustainability transitions (energy, digital, economic, demographic), and gender-responsive policy design within EU Structural Funds frameworks. She investigates how peripheral communities navigate demographic challenges while advancing green and digital transformations through transdisciplinary approaches.

Recent publications reveal consistent analytical focus on institutional structures for rural transitions and civic engagement in cross-border cooperation programs. Her Horizon Europe RUSTIK project outputs demonstrate methodological rigor in co-creating policy pathways with stakeholders, while Interreg evaluations highlight systemic barriers to effective civil society participation in territorial governance.

As Principal Investigator for Horizon Europe's RUSTIK project (2025-2028) and co-lead for Core-IB INTERREG research (2025-2026), she manages substantial grant portfolios exceeding €5M. Her project leadership spans 38 initiatives including Northern Periphery Programme evaluations, PEACE PLUS development, and ESPON territorial cooperation studies.

Vironen co-directs the IQ-Net consortium facilitating knowledge exchange among Structural Funds managers across Europe, while representing Strathclyde in the University of the Arctic Network and Scottish Arctic Network steering groups to advance circumpolar research collaboration.