WE should learn lessons from our twin city in Norway which is leading the way in technology, business start-ups, tourism and top quality restaurants, as well as honouring their music heroes with a museum.
That's the view of former MP Douglas Chapman who said Trondheim was a success story that has "out-Carnegied Dunfermline several times over!"
He said: "For those still looking for a real city plan, a council strategy or how we implement the sensible recommendations from Dunfermline’s new city assembly, perhaps it’s time to look towards our old Norwegian friends of 80 years standing."
Trondheim has been twinned with Dunfermline since 1945 and Mr Chapman was impressed with the 'Tech capital of Norway' and a tourism strategy that has a "big focus on attracting visitors and conferences to the city" and has also contributed to it becoming a culinary hotspot.
The 71-year-old told the Press: "The success they are experiencing today was down to a decision by the council 20 years ago to focus on and resource their tourism offer while developing the infrastructure to support international conferences in such areas as hotels, hospitality and venues where these conferences could be held.
"This long term strategic approach is also relevant to their growing reputation for gastronomy with the area being awarded the accolade of a European Region of Gastronomy in 2022, and the increasing number of Michelin star recognised restaurants in the city and wider region of Trondelag.
"Their international profile has been developed around high quality local produce, small scale producers, seasonal and foraged food and a focus on the attraction of new Nordic cuisine and sustainability."
He added that Trondheim "takes its music seriously" and has a museum dedicated to it, while it's also known for various concerts, festivals and events throughout the year.
Suggesting that's something we could make more of, he pointed out: "Dunfermline has a rich back story when it comes to producing some big hit bands and famous acts."
Mr Chapman said that the twin cities share many similarities, as well as more than eight decades of links and friendship.
Their football teams, Dunfermline Athletic and Rosenborg, play in black and white, both cities were former capitals of their nation and made their mark in centuries past as royal and religious centres, and they're even alike when it comes to retail.
He said: "The main shopping street in Trondheim is called Kongens Gate or Kingsgate and leads to the city square, both of which are named after historic kings - in Trondheim it's King Olaf 1st and Dunfermline, King Robert the Bruce."
In addition, he highlighted that Dunfermline and Trondheim were both destroyed by fire in the 17th century, in 1624 and 1681 respectively, and both were rebuilt in the face of adversity.
The former MP, who won the Dunfermline and West Fife seat for the SNP in May 2015 and held it until he stood down ahead of the 2024 general election, hopes some ideas can be adopted here.
On his visit to Trondheim he met with the city mayor, Kent Ranum, who told him the local council’s long term strategy had "paid dividends in a range of different areas".
Mr Chapman said: "While activities like commercial fishing and agriculture had always been important to Trondheim, the plan was also to move their city into the modern day and they badged themselves as the 'Tech capital of Norway'.
"It's a title that has paid off handsomely and has seen the growth of their university and encouraged a relentless focus on attracting and growing tech start-ups.
"The Trondheim Tech Port is a great example of how existing business, start-ups, the technical college, research bodies and the council work together to deliver a supportive programme of events to encourage collaboration between start-up enterprises and get them on the road to success."
The tech port CEO, Erlend Solem, told him there were four core elements to their operations: aquaculture, seafood production, maritime technology and innovation; health tech and life sciences; energy - renewables and transition technologies; and digitalisation.
The former MP noted: "Despite us having a modern college campus and some impressive SME businesses in Dunfermline, in the entrepreneurial sphere I sense that Trondheim has out-Carnegied Dunfermline several times over!"
His visit also coincided with the two-day Nordic Energy Research conference in Trondheim which he described as "a revelation".
Experts from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden came together to explore how a hydrogen economy could be delivered to boost energy security and be used as a non-fossil part of the energy mix.
Mr Chapman said: "Besides the technical aspects of the programme, the standout feature was just how well the Nordic nations collaborate on issues that are of common interest and benefit to all.
"This sharing of knowledge, information and funding is quite awe-inspiring."
And the SNP supporter hasn't forgotten how to deliver a political point, drawing on the example of a country that has control of its energy supplies.
He said: "Clearly Norway is a very rich nation and their government is well resourced.
"They used their oil money wisely, whereas in Scotland our equivalent oil and gas lottery win was sucked out the country to support the profits of foreign oil companies, international financiers in the City of London as well as HM Treasury.
"For us, it’s very much a story of what might have been."
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