Project and WPs

Partner: Hólar University College

WP1 establishes the ethical, methodological and relational foundations of ArcticKnows. It identifies knowledge gaps and research needs in Arctic Coastal, Local and Indigenous Communities, while developing replicable frameworks that support just, decolonial and inclusive knowledge co-creation. The work package assesses and advances best practices for collaborative and co-productive research methods, ensuring that Indigenous, local and scientific knowledge systems are valued on equal terms. WP1 also safeguards ethical standards such as Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), protection of sensitive knowledge, and community ownership of processes and outcomes across the project.

Partner: Umeå University

The overall objective of WP2 is to increase the regenerative potential of the local economy and ecosystems and to enable and support the Coastal, Local and Indigenous Communities to transition to regenerative economies and livelihoods. It aims to strengthen the regenerative potential of local Arctic economies and ecosystems by enabling and supporting Coastal, Local and Indigenous Communities to transition towards regenerative economies and livelihoods. It compiles and triangulates knowledge across the four pilot cases on the economic systems involved, with particular attention to the historical and current structures, processes and practices that shape livelihoods, including stories about historic rights and locally important practices. WP2 also identifies and analyses the laws, regulations and policies that influence local economies—both enabling and constraining—while mapping the current situation of traditional fisheries and considering the economic potential of emerging species in connection with other project work.

Partner: Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and Nofima

WP3 aims to co-develop political responses and practical strategies that strengthen the cultural and political agency of Coastal, Local and Indigenous Communities. Its central goal is to enhance communities’ capacity to participate meaningfully in decision-making processes at municipal, national and international levels, particularly in sectors that directly affect their livelihoods, cultures and relationships with land, waters, other species and local environments.

The work begins by identifying the gaps and barriers that community members face in formal decision-making arenas. WP3 examines the extent to which Coastal, Local and Indigenous Communities currently participate in governance processes related to tourism, fisheries, food production, agriculture and other relevant sectors, mapping the existing platforms and tools for participation. It also explores the personal, structural and cultural factors that influence whether and how community members engage, gathering collective experiences of past and present challenges, exclusions and successes in influencing decisions. WP3 co-designs and implements alternative and more inclusive participation platforms through creative, community-based activities and workshops. These processes aim to strengthen empowerment at individual, cultural and structural levels. The outcome is a set of community-driven recommendations and practical tools to support inclusive governance and regenerative economic futures across the Arctic pilot cases.

Partner: University of Iceland

WP4 aims to help overcome the “gender and youth blindness” that still shapes how research and economic policy understand regenerative economies and the transformation of natural resource–dependent Arctic communities. It focuses on recognising and making visible the often under-valued contributions of women and young people, and on generating evidence that supports their fuller inclusion in narratives, strategies and decision-making around regenerative futures.

It examines the dynamics of social mobility and achievement among women and youth, including the roles of education, emigration and migration, and how these experiences shape their agency as translocal actors connecting communities, places and opportunities. It also broadens the understanding of Arctic coastal livelihoods by highlighting how communities “living by the sea” are also shaped by rivers, lakes and shorelines, and how the social and economic pulse of these places is intertwined with the sea and ports. In this context, WP4 pays attention to transformations in fishery communities where cultural and creative industries have become important complementary—sometimes central—sources of work and income.

Partner: Aalborg University

WP5 advances ArcticKnows’ commitment to more-than-human perspectives. It investigates how relationships with animals, plants, waters, ice, landscapes and seasonal rhythms shape livelihoods, knowledge systems and decision-making in Arctic communities. The work package integrates multispecies coexistence and justice into economic thinking, showing how regenerative futures depend on respectful relationships between human and non-human beings.
WP4 supports narrative, visual and experiential approaches that make more-than-human relations visible and meaningful within the project.

Partner: Touch TD Ltd.

WP6 ensures that ArcticKnows’ knowledge, experiences and outcomes are shared in accessible, ethical and engaging ways. It prioritises community-centred storytelling, amplifying local voices and lived experiences rather than only project results.

The work package develops communication formats for diverse audiences, including communities, policymakers, practitioners and the wider public. It supports the project website, stories, visual material, policy-relevant outputs and open-access resources, always grounded in consent and respect.

Partner: Natural Resources Institute Finland

WP7 (WP14) provides overall coordination, governance and strategic oversight of ArcticKnows.

It ensures effective collaboration among partners, alignment with ethical commitments, and smooth implementation of project activities. The work package also focuses on long-term impact by supporting pathways for policy relevance, future research and continued community benefit beyond the project’s lifetime.