Arctic Security Forum 2026: Opening Pathways to Northern Collaboration
The Arctic region's potential is closely linked to the challenges posed by climate change and geopolitical tensions, making international cooperation more urgent than ever. The Arctic Security Forum in Oulu on 16–17 June 2026 aims to foster such collaboration.
Arctic security has had, and continues to have, a profound impact on the Nordic and European Arctic.
The six Nordic universities in the Arctic Six Alliance call for open dialogue and increased cooperation between academia and stakeholders—policy-makers, defence forces, cities, communities, and businesses—to address the security challenges facing our region.
Building on the success of the first “Forum on Arctic Security: Total Defence in the Fennoscandian Arctic – Perspectives from Sweden, Norway, and Finland” (held in Tromsø, Norway, in April 2025), the Arctic Six now invite you to join a follow-up Forum.
The Arctic Security Forum will be held in Oulu on 16–17 June 2026.
This event will feature high-level presentations and discussions alongside the co-creation of new joint initiatives.
The first day will feature presentations and discussions on the most pressing Arctic security issues of today. The second day will include three co-creation workshops to establish new cooperation, projects, and plans under the forum’s three main topics: total defence, transportation, and preparedness in the North.
Register for the event no later than 1 June
Confirmed Keynote Speakers
Matti Latva-aho, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Oulu, sees comprehensive security as an important area for research and collaboration:
“It is an emerging research area in which the role of universities is growing rapidly. We need new collaborations to ensure that the most innovative solutions find their way into society as effectively as possible,” Latva-aho says.
More information can be found here: Arctic Security Forum event page.
The Arctic Security Forum is hosted by the University of Oulu as part of the Arctic Six Alliance and organised jointly by all Arctic Six universities:
Luleå University of Technology, Umeå University, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Nord University, the University of Lapland, and the University of Oulu.