Business programme 2022

Today, everyone’s lives can be improved by providing high-tech medical care, creating a comfortable living environment that takes into account the natural and climatic features of the territory in which they live, and encouraging industrial production and the attraction of new investors. The development of artificial intelligence technologies, space communication technologies, satellite services, smart urban management technologies, and modern telecommunications infrastructure are the main focuses in the strategies for the digital transformation of the priority sectors of the economy of Russia’s regions in the Arctic region, which help to achieve this.

One of the main focuses of Russia’s state policy in the Arctic is to ensure that the population and territories of Russia’s Arctic zone are protected against natural and man-made emergencies. However, the pace at which emergency and rescue infrastructure is developing is not consistent with the growth rate of economic activity in the Arctic zone, which is a threat that creates risks for the development and national security of the region. Today, the manpower and resources that are used to respond to various emergencies are located directly in the Arctic zone, or in the subarctic regions. They have different departmental affiliations, and it is essential to unify them under one coordinating body. Severe climatic conditions and underdeveloped transport infrastructure significantly complicate the response of rescue services to various emergencies, accidents, and incidents. In the White, Barents, and Kara Seas, there are roughly 18,000 potentially dangerous underwater objects that pose a nuclear, radiation, and chemical hazard. Their existence adversely affects the environmental safety of the Arctic zone, as well as navigation along the Northern Sea Route, and requires constant monitoring of their condition and readiness to respond in the event of an emergency, including in difficult ice conditions. What equipment and technologies do rescuers have in the Arctic? How can we counter the severe weather and climatic conditions? How should we ensure the safety of navigation along the Northern Sea Route and in the energy sector? How should rescue operations be conducted at sea and on land in the Arctic zone? What are the main principles for establishing and managing an interdepartmental rescue group?

The Arctic ecosystem is currently undergoing a significant transformation due to climate change and manmade factors. High latitudes are still an understudied and hard-to-reach territory for science. However, it is crucial for environmental, economic, and social reasons to regularly obtain new knowledge about the nature of these ongoing changes and to also update scientific research about the Arctic. Conducting modern fundamental and applied research as part of international cooperation is the only thing that will make it possible to obtain the information needed for the effective and safe development of the polar region. But several questions need to be answered in order to determine the prospects for continuing to study the high-latitude Arctic. What focuses and methods of research activities are the top priority? What prospects can be opened for Russia and the world as a result of Arctic expeditions? What is the optimal way to build up international scientific cooperation? How can we effectively organize the work of drifting stations, and why are remote methods not sufficient?

The Arctic zone is a priority area for geostrategic development. However, there is much concern about who will carry out this development? Today, young people are being counted on as the most mobile and creative social group in matters concerning the development of territories. Yet, according to sociological studies, young people have four major concerns: personal fulfilment, employment, an understanding of the region’s future, and living there. How is the Arctic responding to these challenges? How can we attract human capital to work in the regions of the Far North? Why is there an outflow of human resources in the social sector (health and education)? What measures will help attract to and retain workers in the Arctic?

Overcoming long distances and using transport in the Arctic is always more difficult than ‘on the mainland’. The harsh natural conditions mean there are stringent requirements for equipment used to transport people and goods in the region. Such equipment must be adapted to extreme weather conditions, water barriers, and snowdrifts and also meet environmental standards so as not to damage the natural surroundings. But even modern technology that has been adapted to the harsh off-road realities of the Arctic is not sufficient. Drivers need to be trained in the specifics of driving in the region. Skilful driving helps to traverse difficult routes and deliver goods more quickly, saves fuel, and optimizes logistics overall. What new transport technologies are currently being used in the Arctic? How should Arctic drivers be trained and why is this necessary? Who particularly needs to know how to drive in the Arctic? Who should develop the technology for training Arctic drivers?

The Arctic economy and social sector cannot be developed without exciting, breakthrough scientific and technical projects in a wide range of disciplines. Prominent initiatives are needed to introduce high-tech developments made by universities, scientific organizations, and industrial companies to benefit people in the Arctic. We need ambitious goals and proper solutions. What are the stated goals and the quantitative and qualitative assessments of the breakthrough scientific and technological projects being implemented today? What prospects are there for cooperation between science and industry in new high-tech global initiatives? In what disciplines can successful Arctic developments serve as a driver to achieve leading positions on the Russian and global technology market, and not only in the Arctic?

In summer 2021, the Russian government selected and established a network of world-class scientific and educational centres that aim to ensure that Russia is among the world’s top five countries in research and development in focus areas that are deemed to be priorities in scientific and technological development based on the integration of universities and research organizations and their cooperation with organizations working in the real sector of the economy. Arctic projects are part of the programme of activities of several scientific and educational centres. The high cost and risks of implementing Arctic projects require established world-class scientific and educational centres to strengthen interregional cooperation. Is the agenda of world-class scientific and educational centres consistent with the priorities of the strategy to develop the Russian Arctic until 2035 and the sustainable development goals? How can we close gaps in the implementation of Arctic projects based on the ‘Business – Science – Education’ model? What support measures exist for scientific and educational centres that are engaged in activities in the Russian Arctic? How can we encourage businesses to take part in Arctic scientific research? What are the prospects for scientific and educational centres to implement interregional Arctic projects?

The sustainable development of the Arctic region is not just a national, but a global goal that requires the establishment of productive international cooperation between both Arctic and non-Arctic countries that are interested in the region. Asian countries are increasingly showing particular interest in the opportunities available in the Arctic region. Today, universities around the world are among the key drivers of regional development, as they strive to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the UN adopted in September 2015. More than 50 Russian universities have educational and scientific ties with 18 organizations from Asian countries as part of the ‘University of the Arctic’ international network, most of which are universities in China. What problems and prospects exist for creating fundamentally new formats of interaction between the leading universities of Russia and Asian countries, taking into account the new geopolitical challenges and the rapidly changing agenda of international cooperation in the Arctic. Can scientific cooperation be intensified? What prospects are there for creating joint educational programmes and priority focus areas in scientific research to consolidate efforts towards achieving the sustainable development goals of the regions of the North and the Arctic?