Opportunity and Tension: The Arctic’s Role in the Global Economy

The Arctic has suddenly become a crucial and contested region on the world stage. Expansion of oil and gas drilling, clean energy development, and deep-sea mining are creating new business opportunities, but also tensions between economic players, as well as with the environment and the indigenous communities. While the region is critically important for global security, newly navigable shipping lanes could reshape international trade networks and supply chains.

In this context, what should business leaders know about the Arctic? Is it possible to pursue new economic opportunities in the region while preserving fragile ecosystems and benefitting local inhabitants? In this talk, Professor Dan Vermeer, executive director of Fuqua's Center of Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE), will share insights from a recent experiential learning trip to the Nordics and the Arctic to explore these complex challenges.