The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affair supports Akvaplan-niva project by NOK 14.3 million

Akvaplan-niva in Tromsø has received financial support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ grant scheme Arctic 2030 to the project “A transatlantic innovation arena for sustainable development in the Arctic (CoArc)”. The support is 14.3 million NOK and the project will run from 2016 to 2020.

Partners:

The partner in the project are UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the Institute of Marine Research, International Research Institute of Stavanger (IRIS) and Fisheries and Ocean Canada.

The background for CoArc

Norway and other Arctic countries in the North Atlantic have considerable natural resources in their ocean areas in the form of fisheries and petroleum deposits. It is of great importance to gain access to and develop these resources in a sustainable way so that the Arctic region’s unique characteristics are maintained. To solve this challenge, innovative approaches and international cooperation are required.

What will CoArc achieve?

The project will contribute to developing future-oriented and cost-effective solutions for environmental monitoring and risk assessments of offshore operations in the northers seas with emphasis on the development of decision-support tools for improved environmental management. The foundation of CoArc is high-quality research coupled with innovation activities.

The project meets key Arctic 2030 criteria, such as international cooperation, business, knowledge, and environment protection, safety and emergency preparedness. The primary target group is the petroleum industry. Other partners include UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the Institute of Marine Research, International Research Institute of Stavanger (IRIS) and Fisheries and Ocean Canada.

What is the background for CoArc?

Norway and other Arctic countries in the North Atlantic have considerable natural resources in their ocean areas in the form of fisheries and petroleum deposits. It is of great importance to gain access to and develop these resources in a sustainable way so that the Arctic region’s unique characteristics are maintained. To solve this challenge, innovative approaches and international cooperation are required.

What will CoArc achieve?

The project will contribute to developing future-oriented and cost-effective solutions for environmental monitoring and risk assessments of offshore operations in the northers seas with emphasis on the development of decision-support tools for improved environmental management. The foundation of CoArc is high-quality research coupled with innovation activities.

Why does CoArc receive support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

It is of paramount importance that we increase our Arctic knowledge and design solutions which take the special Arctic challenges fully into account. By means of its focus on developing the potential for responsible utilisation of petroleum resources in the northern seas CoArc will contribute towards key objectives in the Government’s Arctic Policy. CoArc is an example of an innovation cluster that builds on the vast expertise and the human resources available in the north. This also includes investments from the international petroleum industry to support private sector innovation in partnership with universities and research institutions.  

Photo: CoArc study area