A Co-created Network Community for Knowledge and Innovations : Promoting Safety and Security in the Arctic

The cooperation between Arctic states – Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland – has been particularly peaceful while geopolitical tensions have risen elsewhere (Pezard et al., 2017). Discussions on prospecting Arctic natural resources (Haftendorn, 2016., p. 133) have raised new challenges also to knowledge and information management. Therefore, this paper argues that there is a need to develop a co-creation network among higher education and key end users, for knowledge and information sharing and promoting innovation, which will contribute on safety and security in the Arctic domain. The research question for this paper is: How can end users be involved in the process of creating a co-creation network for knowledge and information sharing to contribute on innovations to Arctic safety and security? The method focuses mostly on the third phase of the Engeström’s (2007) expansive learning process, modeling a new solution. This is a participatory work in progress. Beyond the desk review, the notes from co-creation network partner communication and meeting discussions have been and are gathered under the Chatham House rule (Chatham House, 2016) to ensure anonymity of all people participating in the process. Creating a new long-term co-operation program of higher education and end users, a co-creation network will attempt to engage a still disengaged field by affecting change to currently scattered and unlinked programs and systems, and build alignment of best practices. This co-creation network needs to be multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional to bring disparate security and safety management and other researchers and experts together with both one another, and with end-users. Online platforms can facilitate the information and knowledge sharing, as well as enable the co-creation of innovations among the network community. This paper provides a suggestion of the process for co-creation and knowledge exchange between the network members. The enhanced Arctic research and study community aims to contribute to a safer, more secure and cleaner domain. Developing insights on sustainable economic growth, international processes and best practices, may lead to increased situational awareness as well as supports decisionmaking – for the benefit of the Arctic