The initiative will integrate five key priorities: national security, the development of mineral resource centers, the creation of a world-class transport corridor, as well as advancements in science and innovation aimed at fostering a comfortable living environment and environmental sustainability. Andrei Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region and Chairman of the State Council Commission on the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic, presented the plan during the plenary discussion Arctic 2050: The Future Begins Today at the 15th International Forum Arctic: Today and the Future.

He stated that the project is designed to tackle systemic challenges impeding the region’s growth. These include unprecedented sanctions pressure, the militarization of the global Arctic following NATO’s expansion with Finland and Sweden, and the persistent population decline in the Russian Arctic at a time when populations elsewhere in Polar regions are rising.

“The Arctic is of vital importance for our geopolitical security and connectivity across the nation,” Chibis said. “In the north, this cohesion is provided by the Northern Sea Route, and in the south, by the Trans-Siberian Railway, which links European Russia, Siberia, and the Far East. Together, these two arteries ensure the territorial integrity of our state.”

The governor highlighted that the Murmansk Region is already demonstrating positive momentum, with migration turning positive in 2023 for the first time in 35 years. The overarching goal by 2050, he noted, is for the region to evolve from an industrial base into a full-fledged center of Arctic expertise.