Digital tools to support more inclusive dialogue on industrial development

Major industrial developments can have far-reaching and long-term consequences for the communities in which they take place. They may affect local residents, landowners, businesses, traditional livelihoods, public authorities and the natural environment. Decisions made today can shape land use, livelihoods and local development for generations.

The Digital Co-Transition project examines communication and dialogue between the mining industry and the communities and stakeholders affected by potential mining-related developments in and around Jokkmokk. The researchers are investigating whether carefully designed digital tools could help create better opportunities for people to access information, express their concerns and participate in discussions.

– Developments of this scale can have profound consequences for both individuals and communities. It is therefore crucial that those affected have meaningful opportunities to access information, ask questions and make their perspectives visible, says Shaghayegh Shirkhani, PhD student in Information Systems.

Understanding the current communication landscape

Mining-related developments involve complex environmental, social, cultural and economic questions. Stakeholders may have very different, and sometimes opposing, views on how land and natural resources should be used.

The project seeks to understand how communication currently works, how people receive information, whether they feel able to participate in and influence discussions, and what prevents meaningful dialogue.

– Our aim is not to promote a particular position on mining. We want to explore how communication and participation can become more inclusive, transparent and constructive, says Shaghayegh Shirkhani.

When people feel that information is insufficient, communication is one-sided, or their experiences and concerns are not genuinely acknowledged, distrust and polarisation can increase. Creating meaningful opportunities for inclusive communication is therefore important not necessarily to produce agreement, but it can help ensure that different perspectives are represented and understood.

– Meaningful communication is not necessarily about reaching consensus. It is about making different perspectives visible, creating opportunities to address questions and helping stakeholders better understand both the proposed developments and one another’s concerns, says Shaghayegh Shirkhani.

Lessons that could be relevant elsewhere

Jokkmokk provides an important setting for studying these questions because industrial development intersects with local communities, Indigenous rights, environmental concerns, different livelihoods and interests, and long-standing questions surrounding land use.

Although the findings must be understood in relation to the local context, many of the broader challenges are also relevant elsewhere. Communities facing mining projects, energy developments, infrastructure projects or other major industrial transitions may encounter similar questions about trust, transparency, conflicting interests and opportunities to participate.

– We are not trying to develop a one-size-fits-all solution. Our ambition is to identify principles, conditions and lessons that could help guide digital participation initiatives in other places with their own distinct circumstances, says Shaghayegh Shirkhani.