Team Nordic Arctic hosted Arctic mingle under Arctic Circular Economy Summit in Kirkenes
7-9th October 2025 Arctic Circular Economy Summit (ACES) gathered a broad range of stakeholders in Kirkenes
Kristian
- 15th October 2025
Arctic Circular Economy Summit (ACES) was held in Kirkenes on October 7–9th, hosted by Sør-Varanger Utvikling. The conference brought together decision-makers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and a strong representation of companies from across the Nordic region and the Arctic. In addition to a professional program covering everything from geopolitics and resource management to creative industries, youth perspectives, and new business models in the circular economy – the summit also placed particular emphasis on networking and B2B meetings as a platform for building cross-border collaboration.
The project grew out of the ICE Arctic Youth Community, which seeks to promote intercultural understanding, cooperation, and entrepreneurship among young people aged 18–36.
The program opened with a welcome reception hosted by the Norwegian Barents Secretariat at Ofelas Arena in the heart of beautiful Kirkenes. The evening featured presentations on various funding opportunities available to young entrepreneurs, followed by a social program.
Team Nordic Arctic hosted the final event of ACES. Arctic Mingle featured presentations from Team Nordic Arctic’s delegation, with companies from Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Following the presentations, guests enjoyed a pleasant dinner and networking session with a range of inspiring stakeholders. On behalf of Team Nordic Arctic, the evening was confidently guided by Zebib Bredesen and Shefat Islam.
Ondrej Spala from the Arctic Circular Economy Summit opened the conference in Kirkenes with a welcome address, before the program took participants through a wide range of topics. Among the central discussions were the geopolitical significance of the circular economy, the role of youth in driving a more sustainable Arctic, and how creative industries and design can contribute to new solutions.
Circular tourism was highlighted with concrete examples from Iceland, while the seafood industry was presented as a sector with great potential to utilize the entire resource base through concepts such as “100% Fish.” In addition, attention was drawn to the role of technology in the green transition, funding opportunities for startups, and the need for greater East–West cooperation in the High North.
The delegation led by Team Nordic Arctic consisted of several exciting entrepreneurs and concepts, including the companies Eksamenschat, MediMatcher, and Scopes AI.
From Tromsø, Aleksander Alsvik Sivertsen presented Eksamenschat, a tool developed to help students prepare for exams.
From Finland, Vivika Juntunen introduced MediMatcher, a digital platform that connects healthcare professionals and employers in a more efficient way.
Christian Engene from Sweden presented Scopes AI, designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises with sustainability reporting in response to the EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
Finally, Shefat Islam from BusinessOulu showcased their flagship event Polar Bear Pitching which is an international startup event where selected entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to investors while standing in ice-cold water. Adding to the moment, Jason Brower made a fantastic contribution as the «Jbear» mascot during the presentation, earning a well-deserved shoutout. In fact, it could be said that the Polar Bear himself visited Kirkenes with Team Nordic Arctic.
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
