By Colin Alberts
Freedom Technologies Inc. (FTI) is proud to inaugurate “PolarConsult,” a new, bespoke consulting service in which we offer guidance to companies and organizations seeking to craft their strategies and risk management steps for doing business and operating in and around the Arctic (and Antarctic) regions. The polar regions now represent a dynamic confluence of national and commercial imperatives, which have led to an increasingly complex conversation among stakeholders, policy makers, technologists, academics, and analysts. FTI is now part of that conversation, and our experts are eager to share their knowledge and perspective. In this blog post, FTI’s team seeks to outline why prudent companies and organizations need high-end guidance on Arctic matters, and how FTI is well-placed to help your company or organization become a part of that conversation.
As the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”—the global economy’s trend towards automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and processes—progresses, and the resurgence of nation-state competition—in which cyber and information assume equality, and intertwine, with traditional realms of conflict such as land, air, and sea—resumes, the common touchstone of both these developments continues to be connectivity—connectivity of data, of goods, of resources, and of peoples. Coinciding and cutting across these developments is climate change. The decades ahead will see rapidly melting sea ice and increasingly navigable Arctic waters, elevating its prominence as a strategically competitive space.
Conflict in the Arctic is not inevitable. Competition, however, is. For your organization to effectively navigate this new geopolitical reality, plan for long-lead time investments, and engage with the region’s governance institutions, you will need a partner skilled in guiding its clients through rapidly evolving public policy debates and regulatory developments, and advising on politics and technical requirements, both within each Arctic nation, and in international fora—a partner with over 30 years of demonstrated, unparalleled experience in connectivity policy and solutions. FTI can be that partner.
Who needs a Polar Strategy?
There is, effectively, no competent international actor, corporate or public, which will not need to devise a sophisticated polar strategy.
Telecommunications and Computing: The Arctic presents unique challenges for satellite and terrestrial communications due to its harsh climate, ionospheric anomalies, and remote location. It is also an area with low population density and a lack of infrastructure, which makes it difficult to provide wireless and broadband services. The growing demand for data storage and processing due to the increasing use of digital technologies in industries such as oil and gas, mining, and renewable energy, is also a significant emerging factor. If your company is involved in the development and operation of telecoms networks in the Arctic, or will need to rely on such networks, you will need policy advice on issues such as spectrum allocation, satellite regulation, funding opportunities, data regulation, telemedicine, and funding opportunities.
Energy: The Arctic is thought to contain 30% of the world’s undiscovered natural gas in addition to those considerable oil reserves already found. It is also a region with a high potential for renewable energy development due to its abundance of wind, solar, and hydroelectric resources. If you are a company directly involved in the exploration, production, and transportation of these resources, or if your company indirectly needs a holistic energy strategy, you need policy advice on issues such as offshore drilling, environmental regulation, funding opportunities, and shipping routes.
Minerals: The Arctic is also believed to contain a range of minerals worth at least an estimated one trillion dollars, including gold, copper, and iron ore, to say nothing of those ‘Rare Earth’ elements emerging as critical strategic assets. If your company is involved in mining these resources, or if your company relies on Rare Earth in the downstream production of electrical and electronic components, lasers, glass, magnetic materials, and industrial processes, you need policy expertise in issues such as land rights, environmental protection, and transportation.
Shipping, supply chain management, and logistics: The melting of sea ice in the Arctic is opening new, faster transglobal shipping routes, and increasing the potential for commercial activity in the region. China sees a “Polar Silk Road” as an integral part of its Belt and Road Initiative. As every company or organization must be concerned with shipping, logistics, and transportation, you need policy advice on issues such as ice navigation, environmental regulation, and infrastructure development.
Dimensions of your Polar Strategy with FTI
Political and Military Risk Analysis: Although journalists often portray the Arctic, correctly, as rife with strategic competition, contested territorial claims and potential conflict, organizations need to take account of the extensive and ongoing cooperation between Russia and the West in the region. Transpolar air routes, search and rescue, fisheries, and scientific research are all areas in which nations have found common ground and solidified agreements. A company in need of polar intelligence and advice will need to be briefed on both sides of the coin. The stakes are high—Arctic peace and policies are dependent upon the leadership of the nations that operate there, and that leadership will shift over time. Many of the U.S. military services—including the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Forces, the Coast Guard, and the Defense Department as a whole, have developed revised Arctic strategies in the past three years, building up to the White House’s October release of the U.S. National Strategy for the Arctic Region. FTI personnel apply their own extensive military experience at strategic leadership levels and their continuing defense contacts to advise our clients on how best to manage their polar investment risks and opportunities, and to organize their operations for success.
Connectivity Development: The Arctic is a harsh environment for telecommunications and data exchange. The high latitude and extreme environment mean that even the transmission of radio signals, and the ability of satellites to provide coverage, are difficult. FTI’s expertise in domestic and international telecommunications policy is renowned worldwide. Our policy experts offer experienced counsel on all international telecommunications policy matters and have deep involvement in the relevant international forums determining rulesets for spectrum, for standardization, and for sustainable development. The world of telecommunications today is increasingly dynamic, with numerous and diverse stakeholders looking to develop a ‘system of systems.’ We provide assistance to those seeking to protect and develop their assets, those looking to form effective partnerships, and to those attempting to enter the field.
Exploration & Collaboration: Greater ease of access to the Arctic means more competition for resources that were previously inaccessible or prohibitively costly to acquire, like hydrocarbons, Rare Earths, and even fish. There is not a technology news feed one can open without reading about the impact that access to Rare Earths has on foreign policy, the economy, the environment, energy resources, and defense. As with other ‘industries of the future,’ including artificial intelligence, 5G/6G, quantum computing, and additive manufacturing, the U.S. government and others are adopting ‘whole of nation’ approaches to innovation. In the U.S. alone, the Departments of State, Commerce, Interior, Energy, and Defense are all looking to address Rare Earth issues, modernize/upgrade mines, and broker international deals. FTI has experience with navigating the public-private technology consortia of the kind being established that will champion and enable collaborative technology development, from pre-competitive road mapping up through prototype development and production for the benefit of the entire U.S. industrial base, that can help our clients make a difference in the Rare Earth and other supply chains.
A Stepping-stone to Space: Development of the Arctic, and the region itself, are closely connected to the “New Space Race.” Both the polar regions and space are “cold, dark, and dangerous” in character, and human survival in the former is a test case for the latter. Both have resisted substantive ‘weaponization’ (at least to date) as opposed to militarization. Polar orbits have unique value in that they provide a high vantage point to “see” the entire world. This makes satellites in such orbits extraordinarily useful for environmental and climate monitoring and defense surveillance, reconnaissance, and other intelligence purposes. In short, better access to the Arctic and Antarctic coupled to the rapidly developing space boom may result in a powerful synergy that could serve as a means to further shake up the existing world order. Many of the newest launch vehicles being developed (such as India’s PSLV and SpaceX’s Falcon 9) have been designed expressly for the ability to reach polar and high inclination orbits, and spaceports already in the Arctic region (the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska and the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia) have seen dramatic increases in activity, leading to plans for future spaceport and launch facility expansion in northern Sweden, and northern Norway, and sea launches from the Barents Sea. Space-based monitoring in the Arctic is yielding Earth observation data products that play an important role in climate change sciences, and derived services are contributing to a safer and more sustainable exploitation of the region. Our professionals are experts on space and satellite policy and have been a part of the blossoming space commerce scene. FTI can give clients critical guidance on how national space activities and geopolitics intersect in the region, and how critical undersea Arctic data networks play a role in the world economy. This in-depth knowledge of policy and industry combined with a polar expertise allows us to assist clients on matters associated with international regulations, policies around commercial space launch, commercialization of space travel, remote sensing, hosted payloads, new military operational and national security structures, and the impact of emerging satellite services on the domestic and international broadband markets, particularly regarding its intersection with the Arctic.
* * *
With FTI’s help, your company can develop and maintain a bespoke Arctic strategy that:
- Maps and benchmarks the political and policy risks to your Arctic operations, assets, and investments using one of Washington’s most trusted team of experts;
- Taps into expert Arctic nation and geopolitical risk analysis to shape your commercial decisions across key sectors and markets;
- Builds your business resilience by monitoring possible policy disruption risks in the Arctic region to your assets, people, suppliers, and brand; and
- Develops effective Arctic region risk mitigation strategies in tandem with our expert team of political risk, telecommunications, space, and technology consultants.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.