Norway launches ambitious new High North strategy

On Tuesday, Norway presented a reworked Arctic strategy that merges security, services and jobs into an overarching policy platform with shared ambitious and goals.

“The High North is Norway’s most important strategic priority … That’s why we are presenting a new High North strategy now. Norway will be a leading and responsible polar nation,” said Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide at the launch.

Presented by Eide and Municipal and Districts Minister Kjersti Stenseng, the plan frames the North as Norway’s key strategic priority as war in Europe and rising global tension alter the country’s surroundings. The government says the strategy sets direction for policy and concrete priorities to protect Norway’s core interests in the region.

The document, published as Norge i Nord – nordområdepolitikken i en ny virkelighet, states that the aim is lively northern communities where people choose to live and that also contribute to security and preparedness.

Key points

• Norwegian freedom of action and influence: strengthen national defense and cooperation with Nordic allies, the United States and Canada, and ensure allied presence in the North fits Norwegian conditions while continuing to build knowledge in and about the region.

• Total defense that builds safety, activity and readiness: create spillovers for local and regional business around defense initiatives and raise civil preparedness capacity and competence.

• Good and safe local communities: improve services, housing suited to different life situations, culture and leisure, and education where people live while using digitalization and new technology so more people choose to stay in Northern Norway.

• Infrastructure that builds society: prioritize measures that strengthen preparedness, settlement and business, improve cross-border mobility, and invest in infrastructure that supports total preparedness.

• Value-creating business development: support growth sectors and jobs that build local communities and secure preparedness and supply. Near-term steps flagged in the strategy include developing a readiness zone in Troms and Finnmark, strengthening state and municipal preparedness across Northern Norway with special focus on East Finnmark, increasing day-to-day state presence and deepening cooperation with Finland and Sweden.

The launch also coincided with a separate decision to fund Polhavet 2050, a ten-year Arctic research and presence program budgeted at NOK 1 billion over 2026–2036, roughly USD 98 million. The program involves 18 Norwegian institutions and uses the icebreaker FF Kronprins Haakon as key infrastructure.