The Story of the Arctic Centre

In the early 1970s, there was a debate in Finnish academic circles about establishing a special Arctic institute. In the late 1970s, the discussion became more specific and practical, and Rovaniemi was suggested as the location.

Behind the initiative was the Finnish section of the European Cultural Foundation, which was well-networked with Finnish cultural influencers. The model for the Arctic institute was the Arctic research centre established in France in 1958.

The vision crystallized into a proposal for the Finnish Arctic Museum, which would also be a centre for Arctic research and information. This set in motion an ambitious national project built on northern culture, history and identity.

The State required that the institute plan be linked to existing activities. A new institution for higher education was established in Rovaniemi in 1979, and its rector Esko Riepula proposed the Arctic Centre as a part of the new institution – later the University of Lapland. In addition, the city of Rovaniemi joined in as the Provincial Museum of Lapland needed new premises.

An international architectural competition was held for designing the Arctic museum. It was won by a group led by Claus Bonderup from Denmark, and their work is now known as the Arktikum building.

The plans became reality after it was decided to make Arktikum a project to celebrate Finland’s 75th anniversary. Now it has become an iconic landmark representing modern Nordic architecture.

The Arctic Centre was established administratively at the University of Lapland in 1989. Its mission was to act as an information service and information centre, science centre and a coordinator for Arctic research.

Materials for the first main exhibition were collected by travelling across the Arctic. The glass tube with its exhibition halls was completed by Independence Day in 1992. The Arktikum building became an important attraction and meeting place instantly. Co-operation with schools was developed systematically. The office building was completed in 1997.

Major international and national missions were planned for the Arctic centre. At first, actual research was not part of tasks of the Arctic Centre. However, the International Scientific Advisory Board, which was set up to support the centre, considered research a priority, so the research activities began.

Multidisciplinarity has been emblematic to the research conducted at the Arctic Centre from the outset: natural, legal and social scientists were brought under one roof. The Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law at the University of Lapland was merged with the Arctic Centre in 1996.

Alongside research and the science centre, information service and libraries have been fundamental for the Arctic Centre’s activities.

However, the activities of the centre did not quite take off. The early years of the Arctic Centre were characterized by rapid changes in leadership and the resulting instability caused by several reasons such as conflicting expectations between the various actors as well as resource issues.

Professor Paula Kankaanpää joined the Arctic centre in 2000. She became the longest-serving director of the Centre so far (until 2015), and this helped stabilise the activities of the Arctic Centre.

Since its inception, the activities have been partly funded through the University of Lapland and partly with external funding that the centre must compete for.

During Kankaanpää’s directorship, the research structures were established so that the research at the Arctic Centre is done by research groups led by research professors.

The Science Centre ‘s completely renovated main exhibition was opened to the public in 2007.

At the beginning of the decade, the Arctic Centre’s information service was transformed into science communications.

Between 2009 and 2015, the Arctic Centre sought to acquire the status of an EU Arctic Information centre. A wide international network was created behind the initiative, but the Commission was not ready to move forward. The process contributed to the visibility of the Arctic Centre. In order to strengthen its national and international role, the Arctic Centre also launched Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit conferences with the City of Rovaniemi.

When Finland chaired the Arctic Council in 2017–2019, the Arctic Centre was a key partner for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

At the end of the decade, the number of visitors to the Arktikum exhibitions increased to over 100,000 a year for the first time since the early years of the building.

2020-luvun alkaessa Arktisen keskuksen visiona on olla yhteiskuntaan ja ympäristöön liittyvän arktisen tutkimuksen ja tiedeviestinnän kansainvälinen edelläkävijä.

Yli 60 hengen kansainvälinen työyhteisö koostuu neljästä tutkimusohjelmasta – globaalimuutoksen tutkimus, arktinen politiikka ja kehitys, oikeudenmukainen vihreä siirtymä ja arktiset yhteisöt ajassa – sekä tiedekeskuksesta ja tiedeviestinnästä.