MEETING "The European Union's Arctic research and Arctic scientific cooperation"

PRESENTATIONS FROM THE MEETING (in PDF format)
(on approval of seminar speakers)

Session 1: Updates on the process leading to the 2nd Arctic Science Ministerial Meeting

John Farrell (USA): Outcomes and lessons learned from the inaugural White House Arctic Science Ministerial

Tilche, Kraus, Koivurova, Update on the process leading to the 2nd Arctic Science Ministerial Meeting

Session 2: EU Arctic research

Andrea Tilche (DG RTD): EU research policy and the EU’s contribution to Arctic research

Julian Wilson (JRC): Arctic research themes at the EC’s Joint Research Centre

Nicole Biebow (AWI): ARICE and EU-PolarNet - Making the Arctic accessible for excellent research

Leena-Kaisa Viitanen (AWI): Nunataryuk project

Halldór Jóhannsson (Arctic Portal): APPLICATE project

Ilona Mettiäinen (University of Lapland): Blue Action project

Timo Vihma (FMI): INTAROS project

Session 3: Challenges for Arctic research and science cooperation

Lars Kullerud (University of the Arctic): It is time to do an Arctic Power analysis – who decide & influence – who do they represent – and is this fair?

Arja Rautio (University of Oulu, University of the Arctic): Success and failure of UArctic Thematic Networks and challenging experiences from the InterACT cooperation

Peter Pulsifer (National Snow and Ice Data Centre): Data Challenges and Opportunities in Arctic Research

PROGRAMME

12-16 Registration at conference venue

13-14 Lunch at Panorama Restaurant (registration required)

14-18 Seminar

   14:00 Welcoming words

   14:05 Session 1: Updates on the process leading to the second Arctic Science Ministerial Meeting

   14:50 Session 2: EU Arctic research

   16:00 Networking coffee break

   16:30 Session 3: Challenges for Arctic research and science cooperation

   17:55 Closing words

18-19 Networking cocktail

OVERVIEW

The European Union is a major contributor to Arctic science, supporting research of importance for European and Arctic societies as well as facilitating international Arctic science cooperation. Moreover, the EU, together with Finland and Germany, is preparing for the second Arctic Science Ministerial Meeting, which will take place in Berlin in October 2018.

The seminar is a four-hour event organised on the sidelines of the Arctic Council and Arctic meteorological meetings taking place in Finnish Lapland at the end of March 2018. The meeting will be dedicated to the EU’s contribution to Arctic research and the preparations towards the Arctic Science Ministerial meeting. The meeting will consist of three sessions:

The first session will update participants on the second Arctic Science Ministerial meeting. In this context, the participants will be encouraged to comment and discuss the key thematic areas that the second Arctic Science Ministerial will address.

The second session will focus on the EU’s research strategy and its relevance for Arctic science. Several EU Arctic projects will be showcased and the session will include presentations by EU actors that are involved in the EU’s Arctic research efforts, such as the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. An update on the progress of the EU-PolarNet initiative will be provided. The participants will be encouraged to highlight issues or developments that need to be taken into consideration when planning the future of the EU’s research efforts.

The third session will discuss challenges for Arctic research and possible “roadblocks” and “sticking points” for Arctic science cooperation. The Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation has been adopted and a number of prioritisation initiatives such as EU-PolarNet and ICARP3 are underway. What else can be done to make it easier to do science and engage in international science cooperation in the Arctic? Are there issues that are difficult to resolve due to national research frameworks or might EU science policy be the cause of some problems? (e.g. the administrative burden for getting into major EU projects may discourage smaller organisations. In this session, presentations by researchers and science organisers will be followed by a discussion with the audience.

The meeting is being organised under the EU Arctic Policy Assessment project, which is financed by the European Union. It is co-convened by the European External Action Service and the European Commission (Directorate General for Research and Innovation and the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments) with the support of the contractor, Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland together with project partners.

You may consult the Joint Communication on the EU's Arctic policy Joint Communication on an integrated EU policy for the Arctic (2016)

If you have any questions, please contact us at EUAPA(at)ulapland.fi