Bringing Arctic investment to the heart of finance

As global interest in the Arctic accelerates, investors and policymakers will converge in London this November for the Arctic Investments conference, a forum linking northern opportunity with international finance.

The Arctic descends on the British capital this November, as investors and industry leaders gather for a focused look at northern opportunities. The Arctic Investments conference, organized by the Icelandic law firm BBA//Fjeldco and Arion Bank, returns to The Royal Institution in London on November 12, connecting global finance with projects shaping the Arctic and North Atlantic.

“In London, we’re closer to the capital and the advisers,” says Gunnar Thor Thorarinsson, partner at BBA//Fjeldco. “That’s where the real conversations about Arctic opportunities need to happen.”

What began as a primarily Icelandic initiative has grown into an international meeting point for investors, banks, and corporations drawn by the Arctic’s widening commercial potential. From renewable energy and infrastructure to food security and sustainable tourism, the region’s appeal now stretches far beyond its traditional Nordic base—attracting interest from North America, Europe, and the Middle East alike.

Now in its fourth year, the event has become a bridge between northern projects and international investors, covering sectors from infrastructure and energy to seafood, aquaculture, and tourism.

A different kind of Arctic event

The London event grew from a simple question in a discussion between BBA//Fjeldco and Arion, Gunnar recalls: how to move beyond Icelandic events that mostly attract Icelanders.

“At first, we asked ourselves how we could promote Icelandic companies in London,” he says. “Too many events abroad end up being a hundred people where eighty-four are Icelandic. We wanted to reverse that ratio — twenty Icelanders and eighty foreigners.”

From that starting point, the concept developed into a dedicated business platform. “This isn’t about slogans or showpieces,” Gunnar says. “It’s about putting real projects in front of people who can invest.”

A focused business platform

Whilst the Arctic Circle Assembly is broad and  policy-driven, the London event is compact and investor-oriented. Over three hours, companies present specific projects, followed by structured networking designed to turn introductions into partnerships.

He sees the two gatherings as complementary. “Arctic Circle is a think tank — we’re a business platform,” he says. “They’re non-profit; we’re for-profit. That’s not a bad thing. Nothing would happen if there weren’t people trying to make money.”

Expanding beyond Iceland

Earlier editions highlighted Icelandic firms in aviation, shipping, seafood, and renewable energy. The 2025 program widens that scope to include participants from Greenland and the Faroe Islands, alongside Icelandic and international companies.

“We’re not changing focus — we’re widening it,” Gunnar says. “Greenland and the Faroes share legal and cultural foundations with us, and London gives us the reach to bring everyone together.”

Four investment themes

According to Gunnar, investor attention in the Arctic is now converging on four main areas:

• Infrastructure development – ports, logistics, and health facilities linked to growing Arctic activity.
• Energy and resource transition – renewable and diversification projects, including possible Iceland–Greenland connections.
• Protein and food production – especially aquaculture and fisheries across the North Atlantic.
• Tourism and hospitality – the rise of high-end, “cool-climate” travel requiring significant infrastructure investment.

“The banks, the funds, the advisers — they’re all in London,” Gunnar says. “Even when the money comes from the United States, Canada or the Middle East, the deals are often made here.”

He adds that geopolitical shifts have heightened British interest in the region. “Since the war in Ukraine, we’ve felt a clear change,” he says. “The British are looking north again. Energy security and the Arctic are now part of the same conversation.”

Stronger participation and growing interest

The 2025 conference will feature former Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson as keynote speaker, alongside Aviaaja Karlshøj Knudsen CEO of Nuna green Energy in Greenland, Jóhanna á Bergi, CEO of Atlantic Airways, Peter Christiansen of Nalik Ventures, Hugh Short of Pt Capital, Bjarni Pálsson of Landsvirkjun, Grímur Sæmundsen of Bláa Lónið, Mads Qvist Frederiksen of the Arctic Economic Council, and H.E. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, with Fridrika Hjördís Geirsdóttir moderating.

Attendance has grown steadily, and organizers expect around 130-140 participants this year — a mix of investors, corporate executives, and advisers from across Europe and North America.

“You never know exactly where things happen,” Gunnar says. “But if we didn’t do this, there would be less chance that they would happen at all.”

Long-term commitment

For BBA//Fjeldco, the forum reflects the firm’s broader Arctic focus. With offices in both Reykjavík and London, the company increasingly advises on finance, infrastructure, and energy projects across the region.

“This conference ticks a lot of boxes for us,” Gunnar says. “It’s business development, it’s corporate responsibility, and it connects people who might otherwise never meet.”

He expects both the event and the market it serves to continue expanding. “I think the forum is here to stay,” Gunnar says. “Each year it grows a little — bigger, sharper, and closer to the real action in the Arctic.”

Further information about the conference can be found here: https://arctic-investments.is/.