The most inhospitable region on the planet is gaining further strategic importance. Not only for Finland, but also for the USA, Russia and China. An issue that also involves Italy with important prospects. And the European Space Agency opens new science centers
New rules and visions for the Arctic, a region that has always been disputed over which there are overlapping claims by allies and potential enemies. Finland has published a new security strategy that extends its role as a “guardian state”. After all, almost a third of Finnish territory is located above the Polar Circle, in the Lapland region. The document, published on November 25 as an update of what has been in force since 2021, when Finland was not yet part of NATO. It bypasses the management of relations with the United States as an Arctic nation and the document states: “The US is increasingly viewing the Arctic through the lens of global competition inherent in the ‘America First’ policy. It prioritizes national security, economic cooperation and the exploitation of essential minerals and has moved away from climate change mitigation and sustainable development.” Among the considerations reported, those of US officials, who argued that Washington should exercise greater control over Greenland, are precisely those that have raised the most questions for Finnish ministers.
The weight of the Arctic Council and new collaborations
To understand the current situation, however, it is necessary to remember which countries have territories inside or north of the Polar Circle and which are gathered in what is called the Arctic Council: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. In those parts every move must be agreed upon, while the Trump administration has reportedly tried on several occasions to organize high-level meetings with the Greenlandic authorities without the presence of some nations, in particular Denmark. Meanwhile, since 2024, Finland, Canada and the United States have been involved in the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or “Ice Pact”, dedicated to the joint development of icebreaking naval units, announcing a series of new contracts under this partnership: the United States launched its fleet renewal initiative last month, with an overall plan of up to 11 icebreakers involving Canadian and Finnish shipyards and companies. Shortly before, in mid-November, the partners of the Ice Pact had signed a joint declaration of intent in Washington aimed at strengthening trilateral cooperation on the construction and capabilities of Arctic icebreakers until 2026. Above all there is Finnish Arctic security policy and the growing role that the new NATO Forward Land Force (FLF) unit, inaugurated in October in northern Finland, will play in the alliance’s deterrence in the Far North. In the event of an emergency situation, the FLF will oversee the planning, command and control of land and defense operations throughout the Arctic region.
Russia, geopolitical balance and new observers
The activities of the Arctic Council, which remains the only framework of intergovernmental cooperation for all Arctic states, do not involve security policy issues, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has profoundly changed the nature of cooperation between the parties. Here in the newly published Finnish document we read: “Russia remains a member, but no political level meetings or meetings between senior officials are held between the Arctic states: cooperation between experts and researchers continues within the working groups.” Now, however, several non-Arctic countries, but which have an interest in exploiting crossing routes and resources, have also applied to obtain observer status in the Arctic Council, a situation which would allow them to participate in meetings, access documents and contribute to working groups. Italy is a permanent observer member, also by virtue of the discovery contributions made throughout history, from the missions of General Umberto Nobile to the Dirigibile Italia scientific base on the Svalbard islands.
The Italian industry is ready, a political vision is still missing
From the Italian position, the issue might appear marginal and “distant”, but this is not the case, as history teaches us: after the first scientific stations were installed in the mid-1930s, the outbreak of the Second World War saw that region become a site of clashes. Since 1946, the Arctic has always been a land of confrontation and closeness between the superpowers which today have gone from two to three, with China declaring itself a nation “close” to the Arctic. The Chief of Defense Staff, General Luciano Portolano, recently spoke on these issues, highlighting how the “polar dynamics” reflect on our security, strategic interests and Italian military capabilities. Portolano’s words: “In recent decades, the Arctic region is undergoing profound transformations due to two main types of factors. The first is of a geophysical nature and is linked to global warming; the second, which largely derives from the first, is of a geopolitical nature, i.e. connected to the growing competition between actors in the area and beyond. The Arctic geography is today more accessible than it was before and less peripheral, but also particularly attractive and contested. It has become another quadrant in which it unfolds competition between the powers, generating further, potential friction”. Portolano then explained: “Freedom of navigation in the Arctic means having the ability to move with icebreakers and the NATO nations show a worrying delay due to a lack of available resources and planned investments compared to their competitors. It would be a mistake to consider the Arctic as a periphery, but rather it should be conceived as a potential strategic crossroads where the agendas of Moscow, Beijing, Washington and various European capitals meet and compare (…)”. All this therefore opens up great possibilities for industry too, from Leonardo to the entire supply chain of Italian companies that can participate in projects for Arctic vehicles and missions. But to realize them you need awareness and vision. Which Italy has too often missed.
From Space to the Pole, the new initiatives of the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency today signed a letter of intent with Norway to advance the prospect of a new Arctic Space Center to be hosted in Tromsø. The statement released by the Agency states: the Arctic is an important scientific ecosystem, as well as being significant from an economic and geopolitical point of view. It is also a region where climate change is particularly pronounced, with warming rates up to four times higher than the rest of the planet. Space technologies and services can help monitor and mitigate climate change, while supporting sustainable development, civil security and energy management in the region. Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation, said: “It is inevitable that the Arctic region will face changes, like the entire planet, but I believe that space can have a positive influence on the environment and people of the Arctic region. There is enormous potential for an ESA Arctic Space Centre, which could bring benefits to Norway, the entire Arctic region and the rest of Europe.” Tromsø already hosts the mission control center of the Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS). Launched in August 2024, it demonstrates how a polar-orbiting constellation can improve short-term weather forecasts for the Arctic and the world. Several other science and technology organizations operate in Tromsø, including the Arctic Council Secretariat, the Norwegian Polar Institute, a campus of the Arctic University of Norway, the ESA Arctic PhiLab and one of ESA’s four Business Incubation Centers in Norway, as well as several research and development institutes working in the fields of marine biotechnology, medicine, space weather and sustainability. ESA and Norway, through the Norwegian Space Agency (Nosa), will now form a joint working group of experts to examine possibilities for the ESA Arctic space centre. The working group will report on the proposed scope of the centre, together with the thematic priorities, governance model and implementation timeline by the end of 2026. As its operational scope evolves, the ESA Arctic space center is expected to operate in particular in the fields of Earth observation, navigation and telecommunications, and to collaborate closely with stakeholders across the Arctic region.
