AEC at Arctic Circle Conference
The Arctic Economic Council was present at the Arctic Circle conference with both a break-out session and a spot at the plenary.
AEC chair, Tara Sweeney said she was both excited and honored to take part in the Assembly again this year alongside distinguished panelists and friends of the Arctic.
The break-out session organized in cooperation with the Icelandic Arctic Chamber of Commerce (IACC), focused on Sustainable Arctic Economic Business Development and was opened by Minister of Industry and Commerce of Iceland, Ms. Ragnheiður Elín Árnadóttir. A full house listened as AEC Chair Sweeney, and Vice-Chair Tero Vauraste presented the new AEC Strategic plan. Ingvar Eyfjörð, Board Member of the Icelandic Arctic Chamber of Commerce highlighted The Path to Sustainability for Icelandic businesses, before President of PT Capital LLC, Mead Treadwell spoke about Arctic Investment Needs and Opportunities. The session was moderated by Hulda Bjarnadóttir, representing the IACC.
The break-out session organized in cooperation with the Icelandic Arctic Chamber of Commerce (IACC), focused on Sustainable Arctic Economic Business Development and was opened by Minister of Industry and Commerce of Iceland Ms. Ragnheiður Elín Árnadóttir. A full house listened as AEC Chair Sweeney, and Vice-Chair Tero Vauraste presented the new AEC Strategic plan. Ingvar Eyfjörð, Board Member of the Icelandic Arctic Chamber of Commerce highlighted The Path to Sustainability for Icelandic businesses, before President of PT Capital LLC, Mead Treadwell spoke about Arctic Investment Needs and Opportunities. The session was moderated by Hulda Bjarnadóttir, representing the IACC.
Find the presentation from the break-out session here: sweeney_vauraste_arctic-circle_breakout
Sunday morning Sweeney and Vauraste took the stage at the plenary together with Ambassador for Arctic Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Kim Chan-Woo, Professor Natsuhiko Otsuka from Hokkaido University Arctic Research Center, Japan and Moderator, Icelandic Senior Arctic Official, Árni Þór Sigurðsson. Here Vauraste presented plans for the upcoming Finnish chairmanship of the AEC.
The following focus of the Finnish chairmanship has its foundations in the AEC five overarching themes.
- Interconnected Arctic; infrastructure development, improved satellite coverage and shared services, synergy with other bodies.
- Competent Arctic; Scientific cooperation/shared services, EU Arctic Information Centre to Rovaniemi, Student exchange, E-education solutions, basic-higher education, Arctic know-how in vocational education, expertise in sustainability in the Arctic.
- Safe Arctic; Oil spill prevention, preparedness and response, search and rescue, improved emergency services, occupational safety, sustainable working life, predictable and coordinated regulation, high environmental standards.
Find the presentation from the plenary here: aec-arctic-circle-plenary
