Arctic Spirit 2025: Security, communities, and the urgency to act together

Last week in Rovaniemi, the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland held its flagship event Arctic Spirit, the most prominent Arctic-focused conference in Finland.

For two days, iconic venues such as Arktikum and Korundi House of Culture hosted rich and diverse discussions on the future of the Arctic. The choice of locations said it all: science, culture, and dialogue are the basis of Arctic cooperation.

Attendees could enjoy the exhibitions at Korundi House of Culture during the breaks. A good opportunity to showcase northern artists: the highlight was the Reidar Särestöniemi 100 years exhibition titled Land of the Midnight Sun.

Scientists, diplomats, business leaders, Indigenous representatives, army generals and policymakers from several Arctic countries came together to explore a theme that could not be more timely: “Elements of Security.”

At first glance, one might expect hard security to dominate the conversation. But from the very first keynote, it became clear: security in the Arctic is multi-dimensional.

Climate change, cultural rights, environmental health, economic stability, and mental wellbeing all emerged as key components of regional resilience.

Several Sámi representatives emphasized this, explaining how the health of their land, their ability to speak their language, and protect their livelihoods is part of their security. Ultimately, they see climate change as their biggest threat.

Thriving Communities as a Strategic Priority

Rising geopolitical concerns, tensions, and military needs have only brought a sense of urgency that is widely seen as an accelerator to long-standing challenges. Liisa Ansala, CEO of the Lapland Chamber of Commerce, gives a simple example: when exercising, military troops report on the state of the roads, and underline the urgency and importance of investing in repairing some roads or creating new infrastructures.

In this light, the military becomes a new stakeholder in a much broader conversation. Yet the common hope remains that development strategies will serve local populations, not only national security agendas.

Maintaining or creating the conditions for people to live in the North is vital to strengthening security. Keeping the people who have the will to build thriving communities in northern locations is seen as a strong part of security. By providing jobs, companies play a pivotal role in that sense.

Infrastructure: The Common Ground For Development

Let’s take the Finnish Lapland case study: mining and tourism sectors are booming. They may appear worlds apart, but they have one thing in common: infrastructure.

In times of peace or war, transportation is the glue. The need for more and better roads and railways is nothing new. A major project is finally underway: Rail Nordica, which will connect Kemi, Finland, to the Norwegian port of Narvik, through Haparanda, Sweden. Yet gaps remain: the railway project proposed to link Kirkenes, the Norwegian town at the Russian border, to Northern Finland, has been abandoned—an absence that hinders economic development and communities in this strategic corridor.

Will Clean Transition Survive This New Challenge?

Based on a study conducted by the Lapland Chamber of Commerce, Liisa Ansala is clear: green transition remains a top priority for private companies, as it has become a prerequisite for customers generally speaking. She praises the private sector’s resilience and its ability to make decisions and move fast.

Private sector alone cannot make the long-awaited big moves though. Liisa Ansala gives another simple example:

“A steel company needs a huge amount of energy to operate. Nuclear power is seen as a potential solution, but we need more R&D to develop better, faster, and cheaper technologies.”

The transition itself raises difficult questions. Extracting critical raw materials requires land use, which brings geopolitical tensions, as well as environmental and Indigenous rights concerns.

As Emma Hakala of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs summarized:

“The environment affects geopolitics and security – and vice versa.”

The Way Forward

Foster knowledge sharing & data access
As a pan-Arctic convener of the northern communities and municipalities, the Arctic Mayors’ Forum (AMF) promotes best-practice sharing and knowledge transfer. Patti Bruns, the AMF Secretary General, highlights the Forum’s importance, and the necessity to work with partners such as researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders.

Ultimately, it is about making sure that decision-makers have the best knowledge to make the right moves. Beyond its existing members, the AMF also runs open-door workshops where smaller municipalities, including more remote communities, can join, contribute and benefit. The hope is that more communities will join the AMF and thus strengthen the representative nature of the Forum.

Build on a multi-layered governance
The Arctic Council is the backbone

All eyes are on the Kingdom of Denmark, which has just begun its Chairmanship.

The interest of non-Arctic countries keeps rising. Petteri Vuorimäki, the Arctic Ambassador for Finland, underlined the importance of partnerships but made clear that:

“Non-Arctic countries have to understand that this is our home.”

Thus emphasizing how critical it is that Arctic governance remains in Arctic countries’ hands.

While the event focused on Norway–Sweden–Finland cooperation, Vuorimäki alerted the audience that these countries:

“Should not just keep staring at each other, but also need to keep the bigger picture in mind because the circumpolar Arctic is the size of the African continent and the object of rising global attention.”

A Strong Political Will Is Needed to Unlock the Arctic’s Potential

Perhaps the hardest piece of the puzzle. Nordic countries must align strategies, but a few obstacles were brought up by some panelists: the lack of northern political representation at national level or misaligned election calendars affect the cooperation efficiency.

Still, Patti Bruns pointed out that to meet these needs, existing mechanisms can be strengthened—and the AMF can be part of the solution.

With a background in leading strategic programs within matrix organizations, and now having the privilege to call the Arctic “home,” I can’t help but feel that someone needs to step up and orchestrate these efforts more decisively.

The sense of urgency is not new. Security challenges, clean transition and geopolitical tensions have all been on the table for years.

So what will be the “aha moment” that finally gets all stakeholders moving in sync?