What happens when the Arctic warms, sea routes open and great power rivalry intensifies in the High North? Hosted by the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, the conference takes place at SALT in Oslo on 16 September, with additional events on 15 and 17 September.

The Arctic Security Conference brings together leading politicians, diplomats, military officials, researchers and security experts from across Europe and North America to discuss maritime security, hybrid threats at sea and the changing geopolitical landscape in the Arctic.

Across the day, the conference will explore how increasing geopolitical tensions, new maritime activity and emerging hybrid threats are reshaping the Arctic. Discussions will cover everything from critical infrastructure and shipping routes to transatlantic cooperation, Nordic security and the long-term consequences of a potentially ice-free Arctic Ocean.

The conference is open to the public and will also be streamed online. The full programme and registration details will be published on the conference website.

The main conference takes place on Wednesday, 16 September, with additional open and closed events organised the day before and the day after.

Find details and the updated programme on the conference website.

Register here to join the conference at SALT in Oslo.


Highlights include:

  • Political leadership in turbulent waters, featuring Espen Barth Eide, John Hannaford, Peter Beyer and former US Arctic Ambassador Mike Sfraga, chaired by Heather A. Conley.
     
  • An ice-free Arctic Ocean in 2050, with speakers from the US Coast Guard, the Arctic Council, the University of Montreal, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the University of Greenland and The Arctic Institute.
     
  • Hybrid threats at sea, bringing together senior representatives from the Norwegian Fleet, Equinor, the US Naval War College, the Outer Space Institute and UiT.
     
  • Transatlantic and Nordic partnerships, with Ine Eriksen Søreide, Rachel Ellehuus (RUSI), Jeppe Strandsbjerg, Erdem Lamazhapov and Andreas Raspotnik.
     
  • Responding to maritime security threats in the Arctic, featuring Norway's Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik, the Finnish Defence Forces, NATO Maritime Command, the Canadian NORAD Region, the Swedish Institute of International Affairs and the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
     
  • An open workshop on 17 September, with dedicated sessions on New Voices in Arctic Security, Space and Maritime Security, The North American Arctic and Arctic Ocean 2050. 

Organiser:
Fridtjof Nansen Institute

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From the Centre for the Ocean and the Arctic:

  • Sigri Stokke Nilsen, Acting Director, will chair the panel “Hybrid Threats at Sea – Do the Rules Apply Anymore?” (13:05–14:00)