Now in its second year, the NORA-funded ICE Arctic Youth Community (ICEAYC) project is a dynamic, three-year initiative led by Sør-Varanger Utvikling / ICE Kirkenes. With over 50 applicants from the NORA area - including Greenland for the first time in 2024 - the project connects entrepreneurial talents across borders. It opens doors to new opportunities through an agile, event-driven approach.
For most applicants, meeting other members was a strong motivator, as were the community events and the learning opportunities the project offered, including the ICE Innovation Festival, Tonik, Roaming Reddingakaffi, Iceland Innovation Week, Slush and the Arctic Circular Economy Summit.
The programme places a heavy emphasis on putting participants in contact with investors. This is much to the benefit of participants: more than half have already started a business,while the rest are either in the process of validating an idea or are considering trying to commercialise one. In addition to meeting peers, participants also engage with a wide network of mentors, investors and other professionals.
Noteworthy outcomes include the establishment of the Finest Faroese Fund, the expansion of Greenlandic firm Pajussi into Northern Norway as a collaboration among young Greenlandic and Norwegian entrepreneurs, and the selection of Marine Spark X of Norway as the winner of the 2025 High North Young Entrepreneur Award. The project also catalysed the launch of the Arctic Circular Economy Summit (ACES) in September 2024.
Originally aiming for 100 participants, ACES ended up attracting 127 people to the event in Kirkenes, Norway. Additionally, some 60 people visited the event’s pop-up second-hand shop. The strong turnout by ICEAYC members and industry experts, as well as the generally enthusiastic reception, underscored the widespread supportfor this much-needed concept. Promoting circular transition while involving youth has been an strategic focus for NORA,and, in support of this, it will be the general partnerfor ACES 2025. The hope is that 2025 edition will attract 200 participants from across the Nordic-Arctic region. ICEAYC will also have one of its meeting points during ACES 2025.
As the project nears its third and final year, the ICE Arctic Youth Community continues to explore new frontiers, aiming to foster concrete outcomes, long-term partnerships and connections that stretch beyond the NORA-area. And, most importantly, to continue to lay the foundation for a strong and growing community of young people.
