Arctic360 2nd Annual Conference
A few short weeks before the world went into lockdown, Arctic360 convened its Second Annual Conference: ‘The Emerging Economy Of The North American Arctic: Investing In 21st Century Critical Infrastructure And Transportation Corridors’. Our annual conference brings together leaders from around the North American Arctic from Indigenous development corporations, to Northern governments, the investment community, the Government of Canada, mining, IT, telecommunications executives, and other stakeholders. Our February 2020 conference focused on the challenges and opportunities to invest in the world’s northernmost emerging economy.
Despite the cold dreary weather outside, inside the University Club our group of Alaskans, Canadians, and Greenlanders, alongside financial institutions from Bay Street to London, took part in a marathon of conversations that delved deep into the challenges and opportunities for the North American Arctic.
Arctic360 does not intend for its annual meetings to be a forum for institutional self-promotion. Instead, they are for those with an earnest interest in listening and learning from one another. It is a conference meant for those willing to roll up their sleeves, stay for the duration, work to help advance the conversation on growing a sustainable and prosperous North American Arctic, and how to find the capital investments to do so.
Yes, Arctic geopolitics and climate change make great newspaper headlines. Yet, at the heart of those articles is the critical infrastructure deficit in the North American Arctic.
This infrastructure gap makes it more difficult for communities to adapt to climate change and take advantage of the opportunities of a more accessible Arctic region. Further, it is impeding the ability of the region’s states to protect their Arctic security and sovereignty.
While there has been some positive momentum, the fact remains that there is a long way to go in filling that gap, knowing who will finance it, and finding precise components of the public-private partnerships required to bring global capital north successfully. To arrive at these answers insightful circumpolar Arctic thinking is required alongside new theoretical and applied economic approaches to harness the necessary investment into the region. The objective of Arctic360’s annual conference is to help advance that conversation.
Though COVID has stopped us from meeting in person for February 2021, we have continued to keep the conversation moving forward online through our podcast series, Breaking the Ice and other virtual events with our partners. We also continue to fundraise so we can carry out our initiatives, including our Annual Infrastructure Investment Opportunities Report, our Interactive 2040 Infrastructure Map, and accompanying projects.
The continued spirit of being Canada’s principal Arctic think tank for convening, building new networks and partnerships, and creating new knowledge to advance sustainable economic development in the North American Arctic – onward we go.
We look forward to seeing you all again in person.
