A major conference on Arctic security and its various elements will be held in Rovaniemi, 5–7 May. The Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit international conference will attract around 250 participants.

The Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland and the
City of Rovaniemi have organized a series of biennial conferences since 2013, which
have developed into the leading Arctic event in Finland.

– This
time, the interest in the conference has been exceptionally high, says Markku
Heikkilä, Head of Science Communications at the Arctic Centre, who has led the
organization. The audience includes diplomats, experts, researchers, regional
representatives and business representatives. 

The
international geopolitical situation is tense, and a week after the conference,
Denmark will take over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council. Regional cooperation
in the North is facing new pressures and needs, while climate change continues to
accelerate.

– These developments are often seen in isolation. At
this event, we will try to approach the different elements of security
comprehensively , says Heikkilä. A new feature of this conference is the strong
focus on business and regional actors, together with our Norwegian partners. This
will contribute to more encounters between different actors and increase the
regional relevance of the event, Heikkilä underlines.

The
conference, which will be held in Korundi and Arktikum, will discuss issues such as
logistics and infrastructure needs in the changing security situation in the North,
climate security, the state of Arctic cooperation, the geopolitical situation,
climate interventions and China’s role in the Arctic. 

Conference website: www.rovaniemiarcticspirit.fi

More information:

Markku Heikkilä, Head of
science communications, Arctic Centre
040 4844300,
markku.heikkila@ulapland.fi