Programme

Below you may find the programme for the next edition of the Arctic Futures Symposium scheduled for 29 and 30 November 2022

12:30 - 13:00

Registration and Coffee

13:00 - 13:05

Welcome From the Organisers  + 

A brief welcome from the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica: the world’s first zero-emission polar research station

Speakers

  • Alain Hubert  + 

    Founder and President, the International Polar Foundation

13:05 - 13:45

Opening Keynotes  + 

Welcome to the first day of 13th Arctic Futures Symposium!

Speakers

  • Angelina Eichhorst  + 

    Managing Director, European External Action Service - Speaking on behalf of HRVP Josep Borrell-Fontelles

  • Charlina Vitcheva  + 

    Director-General, DG MARE

  • Eivind Vad Petersson  + 

    State Secretary of Norway

  • Sara Olsvig  + 

    Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council

  • Neil Gray  + 

    Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, Scotland

  • Jasper Pillen  + 

    Federal Deputy, Belgian House of Representatives

13:45 - 15:00

Evolving Arctic Governance  + 

Is a new governance paradigm emerging in light of the current geopolitical tensions?

Moderators

  • Mike Sfraga  + 

    Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission

Speakers

  • Morten Høglund  + 

    Senior Arctic Official, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway

  • Thomas Winkler  + 

    Arctic Ambassador, Kingdom of Denmark; Head, Department of Arctic and North America, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  • Urmas Paet  + 

    Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe Group)

  • Samu Paukkunen  + 

    Deputy Director, Finnish Institute of International Affairs

  • Elle Merete Omma  + 

    Head of EU Unit, Saami Council

15:00 - 15:30

Coffee Break

15:30 - 16:45

Arctic Cooperation in Turbulent Geopolitical Times  + 

Are certain obstacles blocking the implementation of Arctic strategies? Do they need to be adapted?

Moderators

  • Andreas Østhagen  + 

    Senior Research Fellow, Fridtjof Nansen Institute; Senior Fellow, Leadership Group, the Arctic Institute

Speakers

  • Clara Ganslandt  + 

    Special Envoy for Arctic Matters, European External Action Service

  • Petteri Vuorimäki  + 

    Senior Arctic Official, Ambassador, Arctic Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

  • Kathleen Larkin  + 

    Arctic Security Officer, Office of Nordic, Baltic, and Arctic Affairs, U.S. Department of State

  • Ronald Wærnes  + 

    Deputy Head of Troms and Finnmark County Government

16:45 - 17:15

Coffee Break

17:15 - 18:30

Is the Role of Arctic Stakeholders Evolving?  + 

Has the role of non-Arctic states, organisations and other Arctic stakeholders been evolving? What unique contributions are they able to bring to the table? What do Arctic States think of observer contributions?

Moderators

  • Marie-Anne Coninsx  + 

    Former EU Ambassador at Large for the Arctic; Fellow, Egmont Institute; IPF Board Member

Speakers

  • François Delhaye  + 

    Director, Directorate of Economic Affairs, Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  • Sólrún Svandal  + 

    Senior Advisor on Arctic Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Iceland

  • Geneviève Brisson  + 

    Delegate General, Québec Government Office in Brussels

  • René van Hell  + 

    Director, Arctic Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands

  • Melody Brown Burkins  + 

    Director, Institute of Arctic Studies, Dartmouth University; UArctic Chair in Science Diplomacy and Inclusion

18:30 - 18:45

Summary  + 

A short summary of the day's panels

Speakers

  • Willfred Nordlund  + 

    Vice-Chair, Arctic Delegation, Norwegian Parliament

11:00 - 11:15

Opening Keynotes  + 

Welcome to the second day of 13th Arctic Futures Symposium!

Speakers

  • Lars Haltbrekken  + 

    Chair, Arctic Delegation, Norwegian Parliament

  • Gizem Eras  + 

    Head of Section and Counsellor for Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, Mission of Canada to the EU

11:15 - 12:30

Arctic Research Cooperation in the Current Geopolitical Situation...and Beyond  + 

This panel will explore concrete scenarios in which the current geopolitical climate has had an impact on international research collaboration and how the polar research community has been able to adapt to the evolving situation.

Moderators

  • Johanna Ikävalko  + 

    Director, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland

Speakers

  • Rasmus Leander Nielsen  + 

    Associate Professor, Department of Arctic Social Science & Economics, University of Greenland and Head of Nasiffik

  • Nicole Biebow  + 

    Project Manager, EU PolarNet, Alfred Wegener Institute

  • Peter Sköld  + 

    Professor of History, Sami Culture, and Society Development, Umeå University

  • Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen  + 

    Professor, Aleksanteri Institute - Finnish Centre for Russian and East European Studies

  • Mike Sfraga  + 

    Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission

  • Karen van Loon  + 

    Junior Researcher - European Programme, Egmont – Royal Institute for International Relations

  • Ana-Maria Stan  + 

    Policy Officer - Healthy Oceans and Seas/Polar Research, DG RTD

12:30 - 13:30

Lunch

13:30 - 14:45

Arctic Energy and Resource Security  + 

This session will focus on energy and resource security related to the Arctic in a changing geopolitical landscape.

Moderators

  • Greg Poelzer  + 

    Professor, School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan

Speakers

  • Rasmus Wendt  + 

    Rasmus Wendt, Head of Division, Ministry for Agriculture, Self-Sufficiency, Energy and Environment, Greenland

  • Kristín Linda Árnadóttir  + 

    Deputy CEO, Landsvirkjun

  • Hákun Djurhuus  + 

    CEO, SEV

  • Kjell Giæver  + 

    General Manager, Arctic Energy Partners; Chairman, North Norway Energy Cluster (EiN)

  • Martin Phillips  + 

    CEO Europe and Group COO, Talga

  • Willfred Nordlund  + 

    Vice-Chair, Arctic Delegation, Norwegian Parliament

14:45 - 15:15

Coffee Break

15:15 - 16:30

The Arctic: An Attractive Place to Live and Work  + 

This session will look at best practices and policies that attract and retain a skilled workforce - especially youth - in Arctic regions.

Moderators

  • Patti Bruns  + 

    Secretary-General, Arctic Mayors Forum

Speakers

  • Pita Aatami  + 

    President, Makivik Corporation

  • Frida Fossland  + 

    Project manager, The North Sweden Green Deal - Region Västerbotten

  • Torbjørn Aag  + 

    Project Manager, Kunnskapsparken Helgeland, Nordland County

  • Anja Márjá Nystø Keskitalo  + 

    Advisor EU Unit, Saami Council

  • Forest Banks  + 

    Project Development Manager, Battelle

  • Krista Perälä  + 

    Chair, Executive Board of the Student Union, University of Lapland; Member, Arctic Five Student Team

16:30 - 17:00

Coffee Break

17:00 - 18:30

Arctic Innovation  + 

Arctic innovation has been developing at a rapid speed these past few years. But why is Arctic innovation unique? This session will ask industry actors to develop a SWOT-analysis of Arctic innovation on stage and later debate the threats to Arctic innovation. The session will begin with a truly Arctic innovator when the Laurence Trân Arctic Futures Award will be presented for the very first time. The laureate will also participate in the panel and share their start-up story from the North.

Moderators

  • Mads Qvist Frederiksen  + 

    Director, Arctic Economic Council

Speakers

  • Moa Johansson  + 

    CEO, Containing Greens Sweden AB

  • Séverin Schnepp  + 

    Head of Brussels Office, European Affairs Manager (EU & NATO), Terma A/S

  • Tórheðin J. Jensen  + 

    Chief Marketing Officer, Varðin P/F; Chair of the Faroese Council for Research, Development and Innovation

  • Line Kjelsrup  + 

    Cluster Manager, Biotech North

  • Egill Þór Níelsson  + 

    Senior Adviser at the Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannís)

18:30 - 18:40

Summary  + 

A short summary of the day's panels

Speakers

  • Mike Sfraga  + 

    Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission