The Arctic Frontier 2021 – Building Bridges Plenary program will bring together decision makers, indigenous leaders, business and youth representative to discuss the most pressing issues facing the Arctic. Join us for an exciting series of hosted in-person and on-line session the five thematic sessions: Building the Future, Ocean meets Coast, Arctic Health and Wellness, Business Solutions, and Building Bridges.  

Welcome to Arctic Frontiers 2021 – Building Bridges.

The title Building Bridges is recognition of the strength that is gained by safeguarding the Arctic as a region of peace and global example of cooperation in an age of growing tensions and world-wide uncertainty. It also represents the need for open, honest discussions on difficult topics to ensure that polarization of positions do not create further isolation for societies and degradation of business opportunities.

Our plenary sessions will not only explore important connections within the Arctic, but also complicated connections with political, economic and natural forces outside the region that have a profound effect on the Arctic and the other way around. How can innovation and concrete collaboration lead to practical solutions for resilient Arctic societies now and in the future? Our objective this year is to create a conference that puts these questions at the forefront.

Building Bridges  

This session will welcome decision makers and leading thinkers to address the issues currently facing Northerners, their communities and livelihoods. With COVID-19 taking up much of the dialogue since early 2020, it is time to take stock of how Arctic communities and business are coping and recovering. What lessons are there to be learned after nearly a year of inward focus? Have the bridges of circumpolar cooperation built over the last 25 years been weakened due to an uptick in nationalism, restriction of movement and closing of borders? Or does the characteristic strength and resilience of the Arctic leave it uniquely placed to thrive even in these uncertain times? This session seeks to capitalize on the knowledge and experience presented at Arctic Frontiers 2021, strengthening old connections and building new bridges into a hopeful future.  

Ocean meets Coast 

For centuries Arctic communities have turned to the seas to provide food, safe haven, transportation, natural resources and energy not just to survive, but to thrive. Once considered secondary, traditional activities are now the centerpiece of national policies and business since it is no secret that we need our oceans to meet growing demands for food, resources, transportation and energy. This reality is balanced by the urgent need to sustain healthy oceans to ensure a healthy planet. This session seeks to discuss the opportunities and challenges created by the rapid growth of ocean-based industry and the societies on the front lines, through the lens of cooperation and innovation.   

Wellbeing and Societal Health 

The Arctic is a diverse and vibrant region of people who have lived there since time immemorial and also those who have chosen this beautiful region as home.  Healthy Arctic societies are threatened by worrying levels of contamination, disruptions of food webs, mental illness and suicide. The COVID-19 pandemic poses additional obstacles for Arctic communities and businesses. Solutions are complex due to a myriad of challenges left by the vestiges of colonialism, including access to health care services and equipment, the need for reckoning over racial injustice, southern migration of young people and the masculine character of Arctic communities. This session seeks to shed light on the stories and strategies required to build bridges to healthier Arctic populations.  

Business Solutions  

This session seeks to look at specific solutions to challenges facing Arctic businesses at the heart of northern communities.  Unique competence and expertise remain challenged by capacity issues, under-capitalization and infrastructure challenges that limits commercialization and scaling for Arctic products and services. The global economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic has also been felt in the Arctic and it is still unclear what recovery will look like for businesses that operate in the region. Innovation, access, creativity, and practical solutions are keystones to unlocking private investment and global awareness to ensure sustainable growth North of 60.  

Building the Future 

This year Arctic Frontiers will host a panel of young Arctic leaders alongside seasoned Arctic influencers who will dive deeper into the opportunities and obstacles northern youth face now and in the future. Framed in the context of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, speakers are invited to discuss the pressing issues they stand to inherit such as climate change, societal pressure, migration of young people to the south and the question of whether the Arctic is facing its own cultural revolution. This session seeks to build bridges between generations, borders and disciplines to find the best solutions for a resilient Arctic.