NORDUnet is pleased to be part of the programme at Digital Arctic Futures, a conference in Copenhagen on 16 September bringing together policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders from across the Nordic and Arctic region. NORDUnet’s Chief Relations Officer, Lars Fischer, will join the panel discussion “What does meaningful digital sovereignty look like in the Nordic and Arctic regions?”
The conference is an opportunity to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and solutions that can strengthen the region’s digital capacity, resilience, and strategic autonomy, with many of the key voices shaping digital development in the Nordic region and the Arctic in the room. Arctic connectivity and the development of infrastructure in the Arctic are high on NORDUnet’s agenda, making the conference a natural place to contribute.
Serving Arctic communities and Arctic research is a core part of the mission of NORDUnet and the Nordic NRENs. We must ensure the same high-speed networks in Greenland, Iceland, and the continental Arctic as elsewhere in the Nordic countries. Delivering capable, dependable, and trustworthy infrastructure for the Arctic region is essential to offering a level playing field, and to supporting research and education across the region. At the same time, the Arctic presents unique opportunities for the development of global infrastructure, from subsea cables to satellite connectivity. The Polar Connect initiative is an integral part of this evolution, and one that must be developed in close collaboration with partners across the Arctic.
Engaging in events like Digital Arctic Futures allows NORDUnet to learn about plans and challenges from across the infrastructure ecosystem, and to better understand the structural and policy drivers behind them. It is also a chance to listen directly to the concerns and aspirations of stakeholders in the region — and, ultimately, to help shape the alliances and partnerships that will carry Arctic digital infrastructure forward.
