The Arctic Ocean 2050: FNI joins Norway’s new Arctic research flagship
The Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) is proud to be one of 18 partners in Polhavet 2050 – the largest-ever Norwegian research initiative on the Arctic Ocean.
This week, the Norwegian government announced a NOK 1 billion investment in polar research over the next ten years. The Arctic Ocean 2050 brings together 18 institutions in a national effort to advance knowledge on climate, environment, security, and geopolitics in the High North. The Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) is one of the partners.
'For FNI, The Arctic Ocean 2050 will further strengthen our work on the law of the sea and geopolitics at sea', says Andreas Østhagen, Research Director for Oceans and the Arctic at FNI.
The Arctic Ocean is central both to climate change and to the shifting security landscape following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For decades, FNI has researched geopolitics, international law, and resource management in the Arctic.
'Norwegian research environments need to be world-leading in understanding what is happening in our own backyard' - Andreas Østhagen, FNI
'In recent years, we have argued strongly that the geopolitical implications of a more open Arctic Ocean must be studied. This is a core national interest for Norway, and Norwegian research environments need to be world-leading in understanding what is happening in our own backyard', says Østhagen.
At the launch in Tromsø, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre highlighted how Arctic ice is melting faster than previously predicted, underscoring the need for new knowledge to understand and manage the changes. Minister of Research and Higher Education Sigrun Aasland emphasized that the program will strengthen Norway’s position as a leading Arctic knowledge nation and an important international partner.
'We have long built up expertise on how great power politics, the law of the sea, and resource management are interconnected in the Arctic. With The Arctic Ocean 2050, we now have a unique opportunity to further develop this work in collaboration with Norway’s leading research institutions', says Østhagen.
The Arctic Ocean 2050 brings together natural science, technology, social science, and law. The program will generate new data and models, but also analyze how rules and policies must adapt in an era of rapid climate change and growing geopolitical tension.
For FNI, the initiative means strengthening our efforts to provide knowledge on geopolitics, the law of the sea, security, and the environment in the Arctic – for the benefit of Norway and the governance of the Arctic Ocean.
Read more about the program here: The Arctic Ocean 2050 | UiT
