Finland & Norway - Together for Safety and Security in the North
This week ProTromsø and BusinessOulu, together with the Finnish Embassy in Oslo hosted a half-day seminar on our joint efforts for safety and security in the Arctic
Julie-Helene
- 15. April 2026
The challenging geopolitical situation has put the Arctic in a position of substantial strategic importance. How can Finland and Norway work together to strengthen resilience through dialogue and common efforts on safety and security, emergency preparedness and societal growth in the North?
The event is organized by the Embassy of Finland in Oslo, ProTromsø and Business Oulu and is taking place within the framework of the Team Nordic Arctic project financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
After the Ambassador’s introduction, State Secretary Eivind Vad Petersson from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs held his opening remarks. Here he highlighted the history of co-operation between Norway and Finland, in particular in the North.
Under-Secretary of State Petri Peltonen from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in Finland focused on the potential of development, collaboration and innovation in a challenging world-order.
Newly appointed State Secretary Sigrid Ina Simonsen from the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development together with Professor Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv from the UiT Arctic University of Norway / Arctic Six, joined the panel for discussion on the geopolitical context the two countries are facing, set in light the increased investments on both sides in military defence, the need for better infrastructure for preparedness, as well as Finland as a new NATO member in the Nordics.
The second panel discussed the regional perspectives to safety and security in the North in challenging times, where we go the views from the panel consisting of Mayor of Oulu Ari Alatossava, Kari Helene Sjog from the Municipality of Tromsø, Ingeborg Johnsen from The Regional Council of Hålogaland (representing cities such as Harstad and Narvik) and project manager for True North Martine Lødding, where Tromsø is the European Youth Capital of 2026.
The last panel invited representatives from the business industry, named «Cross sector thinking for Arctic resilience». The panel consisted of Liv Monica Stubholt, Board member Grøtsund Industrial Park (NO), Tony Haugan, CSO AVJU Solutions (NO), Miia Ylikontiola CEO Boogie Software and Oulu Business Ambassador (FI), Juha Hämäläinen, Senior Advisor Commercial section, Embassy of Finland (FI), Jani Kenttälä, Co-founder Badrap (FI).
We wish to thank the Ambassador and The Finnish Embassy in Oslo for welcoming us to the residence, the speakers, State secretaries and guests that joined us this week.
The Team Nordic Arctic is a project funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Arktis 2030. The goal of the project, led by ProTromsø, is to strengthen the North Nordic region through business collaborations. The project aims to enhance the cooperation between Norway, Sweden and Finland in the Arctic by applying Norwegian know-how on Arctic society, business, and knowledge.
The overall goal of the project is enhanced Nordic cooperation in the High North in difficult times. We aim to strengthen the Arctic communities in the Nordic countries through sustainable business development, recruitment of youth talents and the inclusion of indigenous people and minorities. One of the main work packages includes Arctic Business Matchmaking in each of the three partnering countries, held in Oulu, Finland, Umeå, Sweden and Tromsø, Norway.
If you wish to hear more about participating in the project or in the B2B matchmakings, please contact project manager Julie-Helene D. Sørensen at julie@protromso.com
