Nordic Arctic Youth Summit 2.0
Over 70 youth representatives from Northern Norway, Northern Sweden and Northern Finland gathered in Tromsø this week for the second Nordic Arctic Youth Summit
Julie-Helene
- 04. June 2026
The Nordic Arctic Youth Summit is part of Tromsø as European Youth Capital of 2026. NAYS 2.0 took place this week on the 27-28th of May in Tromsø, Norway.
The NAYS was hosted last time 27th – 29th of November 2024. During the NAYS I, the delegates created an extensive paper of recommendations to policymakers on six topcis ranging from climate to innovation and security.
Considering the daily change in geopolitics we see every day, especially in the Arctic, the 2026 NAYS has updated the recommendations on security and preparedness as a continuation of the 2024 Nordic Arctic Youth Program.
Over two days the delegates took part in honest discussions, interactive workshops, lectures as well as practical tasks hosted by the Norwegian Sea Rescue Society (Redningsselskapet).
The main pillars for the 2026 program was:
• Security- and geopolitics
• Culture as resilience and preparedness in a changing arctic
• Youth driven innovation and climate change
• Meeting the world with a critical mindset
The first stop of the day was at the Norwegian Sea Rescue Society (Redningsselskapet) hosted by Sebastian Henriksen. The participants recieved a detailed lecture on the Sea Rescue Society’s role in operational maritime preparedness perspective. One delegate asks «What your role if a war breaks out in the coast of Tromsø?». The visit introduced a new perspective on preparedness for many. Following the lecture, the bravest participants were invited to test their knowledge in practice – in the sea.
Following the water activities, the summit kicked off in the beautiful venue Rødbanken, hosted by our partner Sparebank1 North-Norway. Among others, the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide addressed the audience remotly alongside Chief of Defense of Norway Eirik Kristoffersen. Both pointed towards more east-west collaboration and the importance of youth in a security perspective.
Before heading into the discussions we wanted to give our delegates a geopolitical backdrop. UiT the Arctic university of Norway represented by Vice-Rector Jonas Stein, Akvaplan Niva expert Sanne L’Abee-Lund, BRYC representative Onni-Lenni Vansunta and NSR-Nouret chair Elle Nystad all adressed the audience on different topics for the further discussion.
Having a informative backdrop, we headed into six roundtable discussions. Each table represented a new topic, ranging from wargaming, sports, disinformation, innovation, democracy and maritime security. Thanks to our table moderators! The MEPs (Member of European Parliament) took actively part in the discussions and interacted with the youth. Our aim was to show that security is not just about ammunition, but also resilience in a broad range of fields. A broad range of important stakeholders were highlighted, such as Avju Solutions.
After heavy workshop discussions, it was time to loosen up with some Just Dance hosted by Tromsø Youth Council. See how it went over. Following the dance session we introduced our last panel discussion moderated by Viljami Rauhala, student at Lapland University. Panelists include Mr. Antonin Stanek and Terezia Lyk from the European Parliament, alongside Aapi Sotaniemi from Coubonga OY, Maiken K. Salomonsen from DOF Denmark and Veronica Strandh from Umeå University. This panel discussed how geopolitics impact their field of work and how the society should approach uncertainty in the Northern Nordics. Maiken K. Salomonsen argued that leveraged uncertainty can also be a driver for building resilient communities and drew paralells to the morning water activites.
«Can’t finish without a party!» said one of the participants. A timely comment, as the closing party took place right after the youth summit. To open this evening Sami Grand Prix winner, Ellinor Halvari demonstrated beautiful music for us. Apparently, the summit has a process upfront with the sami knowledge skills, but we are working on it. Closing this gap, Halvari demonstrated a few sami phrases for us such as «Bures» and «Maiste».
Finally it was time to hand over the updated recommendations. Up on stage our recommendations committee, consisting of Synne Lockert Sandvik (NO), Salim Abassi (SE) and Emma Kannisto (FI) presented their work before the ceremony. Rovaniemi’s Nella Sepanheimo, Umeå’s Vernoica Strandh and Oulu’s Jarmo Laitinen all were invited on stage to thank off the working group before inviting the European Parliament’s committee on culture and education. Former portugese mayor Helder Sousa Silva alongside Antonin Stanek took the show away by honoring the youth as well as recieving the updated work.
True North 2026 together with Tromsø Youth Council had a great closing speech addressing how the legacy can- and will live on beyond the Tromsø Youth Capital of 2026. We surely look forward to whats next.
Recommendations from 2024 can be found here.
Recommendations from 2026 can be found here.
Program from 2026 can be found here.
Thanks to our collaborators and financial supporters from True:VOICE grant from Samfunnsløftet, the Norwegian Barentssecretariat and Troms County Council the summit remains successfull.
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
