About the Conference 2025

The Road to Arctic Sovereignty, Security & Prosperity Begins in the North

STRATEGY | INVESTMENT | COOPERATION

Arctic Geopolitics Global geopolitical uncertainty continues to intensify and deepen efforts to strengthen North American Arctic cooperation, strengthen the existing Nordic Arctic cooperation, forge collaboration among the two, and navigate interest for enhanced Arctic support from allies outside the Arctic region.

Shifting priorities: Bay Street and the North: The global geopolitical landscape is shifting investment priorities. In Europe, the investment community is moving to accommodate those changes as they relate to the European neighbourhood. Canada’s security and sovereignty rely on a well-defended, sustainable, and prosperous Canadian North. As Europe’s investment community adapts its investment priorities. Is Bay Street doing the same?

Multi-purpose Infrastructure Investment: Public-Private-Indigenous Partnerships are essential for building smart, connected, multipurpose infrastructure to support Northern communities, safeguard Arctic defence and security, and drive economic growth. Public-Private-Indigenous investment partnerships are also the key to building accompanying trade and supply chains North of 60, to connect Canada’s North to the rest of Canada, Canada to its Arctic neighbours, and the Arctic region to global markets.

The Business of Arctic Defence and Innovation: Securing and maintaining Arctic defence capabilities requires National strategy and policy. Private industry is the key to bringing a political vision to life and the Public-Private defence relationship relies on the ability to build off the mandates and expertise of government and the private sector. In the case of the Arctic, robust Public-Private partnerships are necessary to address Canada’s needs in the North including maritime capability, cold weather infrastructure, and enabling the innovation required to develop dual-use technologies out of the Arctic (with the potential to scale up and beyond the region).

Supplying the Arctic Critical Minerals Economy: ESG as a National Defence Imperative: Critical technologies including defence weapons, semiconductor chips, and the energy systems for the net-zero economy all rely on mining and processing critical minerals. This landscape is a mix of great power geopolitics, global energy security and strengthening Western democratic alliances. Strategies and financial tools are needed to attract the necessary levels of venture and patient capital investments needed in these areas while addressing high environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards around which these issues converge.