The conference, organised by the University of Lapland, had for main objective to highlight the importance of science and knowledge in the development of the Arctic, especially from the perspectives of environmental, social, cultural, legal and economic sciences, and without forgetting critical perspectives.
Key note speakers included Nigel Banks from the University of Calgary, Canada, Michael Bravo, from the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, England, and Bob Corell, director of the Heinz Centre for Science, Economics and the Environment, US. UArctic President Lars Kullerud also spoke at the conference sum up session.