Thematic Network on Arctic Transport and Logistics

Goals

The  knowledge of arctic logistics and transportation will be integrated into new educational programs and communicated to Arctic businesses, government authorities and other Arctic stakeholders through various networking opportunities. This allows ATL to promote more environmentally-friendly and sustainable logistics operations and industrial activities in the circumpolar Arctic.

The ATL will analyze ship traffic in the circumpolar Arctic and developing traffic patterns driven largely by several large-scale energy and mining projects. Transport and logistics challenges due to remoteness, harsh Arctic climatic conditions and ice-covered waters, and lack of necessary support infrastructure, make year-round operations difficult. Project logistics of several commercial projects will be evaluated and analyzed as case studies. This includes assessments of risk and operational conditions of shipping in ice-covered Arctic waters.

Though the main focus will be on Arctic maritime transport and logistics operations, port and maritime infrastructure development and Arctic shipping routes, intermodal connections with other modes of transport will also be highlighted and analyzed. This includes maritime connections to river transport, railways, roadways, pipeline infrastructure and to aviation facilities within the Arctic. The ATL members will work on modeling such an innovative, green, optimized and interconnected transport and logistics system for the Arctic.

Activities

  • Facilitate collaborative research between ATL members on transport and logistics in the circumpolar Arctic.
  • Establish research teams on specific topics related to Arctic transport and logistics and jointly apply for national and international research funding; assess all potential sources of funding for joint research.
  • Promote green logistics solutions as a way to minimize the environmental impacts of shipping and other Arctic commercial operations.
  • Facilitate the use of best available knowledge and up-to-date research results in the implementation of future Arctic projects.
  • Built-up close cooperation on Arctic logistics with business partners, public authorities, indigenous representatives and other key Arctic stakeholders.
  • Engage with international forums such as the Arctic Council’s Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) and Arctic Economic Council’s Working Group on Maritime Transportation.
  • Facilitate the use of case studies and scenario analysis to highlight logistical challenges in different part of the Arctic and possible logistical solutions.
  • Determine the demand for new educational programs with focus on Arctic logistics and transport infrastructure development. Promote the development of a joint master's degree program on Arctic transport and logistics with ATL members, as well as professional short courses for practitioners.
  • Provide opportunities for student exchange, practitioner mobility as well as faculty mobility among the ATL members, in order to strengthen knowledge exchange and research collaboration in the field of Arctic transport and logistics.
  • Dissemination of information through conferences and workshops, publications of research results in academic
  • Annual workshop for ATL members as well as several PhD students from members’ organizations (back-to-back to workshop in St. Petersburg in June 2020).
  • Mapping of ATL members’ capabilities and research priorities. Establishment of research teams to address suggested research topics; implementation plan and timeframes. Establishment the ATL’s steering committee.
  • CHNL at Nord University organizes annually a workshop on Arctic logistics. The workshop is attended by several businesses and governmental authorities. Next workshop will be in St. Petersburg, Russia in June 2020.
  • Participation at the annual Arctic Shipping Forum in Helsinki, Finland in April (approx. 200 attendees), and Arctic Shipping Forum North America in Montreal, Canada in October (approx. 150 attendees). Both conferences are attended by Arctic shipping companies, ship technology companies, logistics operators, classification societies, and governmental authorities from the Arctic states.
  • CHNL at Nord University is a project coordinator for a joint project on Eurasian Transportation and Logistics with project partners coming from South Korea, Japan and South Korea.
  • Participation at the International Arctic Shipping Seminar in Busan, South Korea, held every year in December (approx. 200 attendees). This seminar is attended by shipping companies, cargo owners and logistics operators from South-Korea.
  • Nord University is member of the China-Nordic Arctic Research Center (CNARC) which arranges conferences each year, alternating between China (Shanghai or Dalian) and one of the Nordic countries. The next conferences is in 2020 in Umeå, Sweden. These conferences are attended by both academic institutions and commercial shipping companies.

Other Information

Kjell Stokvik, Lead of the UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Transports and Logistics