UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Transport and Logistics has co-organized the session "How Can Transportation and Infrastructure Strengthen Security and Preparedness?" Kjell Stokvik (Nord University), the Thematic Network's Lead, opened the session, setting the stage for a discussion on how critical infrastructure, logistics, and cross-border cooperation can serve both civilian and military needs in the High North. Panelists included: Sari Lindblom (Vice Rector for Research, University of Lapland); Lotte Lankveld (BBA) European Transport Corridor, European Commission (DG MOVE); Ingelin Noresjø (NHO Green Land Transport Program), and Liisa Ansala (Lapland Chamber of Commerce).
The day continued with another session co-organized by UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Transport and Logistics, "Infrastructure, Logistics and Security in the European Arctic – A Call for Nordic Cooperation". Moderated by journalist Morten Jentoft, the discussion brought together military leaders, regional politicians, and Indigenous representatives from Norway and Finland to assess how transportation and infrastructure can serve as tools for both security and sustainability.
The conference went on with the session "The Arctic Climate and Environmental Security" which turned the spotlight on climate and environmental security - equally urgent and deeply interconnected with global stability. As the Arctic continues to warm at an alarming rate and biodiversity declines, the panel gathered a lineup of experts. Among them, was Bruce Forbes (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland), one of the founders of UArctic and a member of several Thematic Networks.
The afternoon panel "Current State of Arctic Cooperation and Future Prospects" , moderated by Markku Heikkilä (Head of Science Communications at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland), underscored the need to preserve dialogue, promote inclusive governance, and find new pathways for cooperation in an increasingly complex Arctic political environment. As the Arctic Council prepares for its chairmanship transition from Norway to the Kingdom of Denmark, the session offered timely reflections on geopolitical shifts and their impact on the Arctic. A member of several UArctic Thematic Networks, Timo Koivurova (Arctic legal scholar, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland) was among the panelists.
The last panel of the day, "New Geopolitics and the Arctic Region", was co-hosted by the Arctic Centre (University of Lapland) & Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). Bringing together leading experts and stakeholders, the panel examined the increasingly complex security dynamics of the Arctic and situated them within the broader context of global geopolitical change. The panelists included a member of several UArctic Thematic Networks, Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv (University of Tromsø), and Sanna Kopra (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland), also a contributor to several Thematic Networks of UArctic.
The day ended with the conference get-together co-organized by Arctic Centre, the city of Rovaniemi, UArctic, Centre for High North Logistics, and Nord University. Sari Lindblom (Vice Rector for Research, University of Lapland) and Felix H. Tschudi (Chair, Centre for High North Logistics) gave the opening remarks and welcomed the participants to join the concluding conference day on Wednesday, May 6th, 2025.