The ArcticHubs project was launched on 1 August 2020, a four-year initiative funded as part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 program.
The ArcticHubs project brings together 21 partners in eleven different countries all around the Arctic region, from Canada to Russia. Its partners are drawn from Universities and research Institutes; the NGO, public and private sectors; and civil society.
Finland focuses mainly on the land use conflicts of forestry, tourism, the Mining industry and reindeer husbandry. In Sweden, conflicts over the use of land are similar to those in Finland, but in Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland, for example, the problems of coordinating fishing, fish farming and tourism are highlighted” says Pasi Rautio, project Coordinator at the Natural Resources Center from Finland.
Local governments, states in the project area, international actors and NGOs have tried to ensure not only the natural sustainability of the Arctic area, but also its social, cultural and economic Sustainability, as well as their resilience to future changes.
The ArcticHubs project, coordinated by the Natural Resources Institute Finland, is developing solution-focused tools such as participatory spatial information systems, guidelines for the use of social license to operate, and future scenarios for Arctic communities, various industries, decision-makers and other stakeholders.
This will help to create and implement regional development strategies aimed at coordinating new economic activities with traditional industries and resolving land use conflicts between different Actors.