The Seminar “ITALY AND FINLAND IN THE ARCTIC: A GREAT OPPORTUNITY” was held in Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, on Tuesday, March 12, 2013, in the premises of the Arctic Information Centre of the University of Lapland. The Seminar has been organized by the Italian Embassy and Cultural Institute in Finland under the patronage of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and with the support of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Arctic Centre and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Data provided by e-Geos (a Telespazio/Italian Space Agency company leader with the Cosmo-SkyMed earth observation satellite system, sponsoring the event) gathered and analysed by the Finnish Meteorological Institute provided experts and researchers, Italian and Finnish entrepreneurs, a cue to examine perspectives and opportunities opening up to the sustainable development of natural resources and to the Northern Sea Route.
Careful attention has been devoted to the autochthonous peoples of the Arctic, whose representatives, particularly the Sami, shed light on the fragile environmental balance and on the impact of climate changes and development activities on their communities. Experts also contributed to a deeper understanding of the scientific, economic and legal aspects involved.
The Seminar was attended on the Italian side, in his capacity as Italian Co-ordinator for the Arctic, by Minister Plenipotentiary Alessandro Pignatti, Deputy Director General for European Union Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Italy, and by H. E. Giorgio Visetti, the Italian Ambassador to Finland, with a team of Italian researchers and entrepreneurs. On the Finnish side, Ambassador Hannu Halinen, Arctic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will illustrate Finnish Arctic Strategy and Ms. Paula Kankaanpää, Director, the activities of the Arctic Centre. Mr. Esko Lotvonen Mayor of Rovaniemi, will welcome participants and Mr. Timo Rautajoki, Managing Director, Lapland Chamber of Commerce will she dlights to the Arctic investment environment. Klemetti Näkkäläjärvi, President of the Sámi Parliament of Finland will address a greeting and will be represented at the Seminar by Vice-PresidentHeikki Paltto. Finnish experts and companies will also contribute to the outcome of the Seminar.
The goal of the Seminar was strengthening the bilateral cooperation in line with the Finnish Strategy in the Arctic through activities, partnership, projects benefiting from the Finnish and Italian expertise in various sectors: economic, entrepreneurial, environmental, social and cultural. The event was also an occasion to underline the relevant contribution provided by Italian research and entrepreneurship to the Arctic’s sustainable development, and to the work and field of action of regional Organisations active in the Arctic and neighbouring regions such as the Arctic Council, the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, the Baltic Sea States Council.
Italian economic and industrial sector will be well represented at the Seminar: Confindustria, the Italian Employers’ Federation, e-Geos, the Italian Space Agency, Agusta Westland S&R helicopter manufacturer, Ansaldo STS rail transport and systems, ENIT the Italian Torurist Board, Italchamber of Finland .
The Seminar is held back-to-back of the important Business Arctic Forum (www.businessarcticforum.fi, March 13-14, Rovaniemi), organized by the Lapland Chamber of Commerce. It brought together entrepreneurs and experts to take advantage of the opportunities of sustainable development in investment in infrastructure and resources (valued over a 10-year projection in 250 billion euros) in the Artic Region.
