Already ahead
In many areas, Greenland is already a step ahead of many other Arctic regions in the field of technology. This gives grounds to believe that concepts successfully tested in Greenland have the potential to pave the way for good, healthy development and prove of great benefit to others. As Arne Villumsen, Centre Manager for ARTEK so often says: “Technology solutions tested in Greenland will be marketable all over the Arctic region.”
The Greenland Innovation Centre and ARTEK will work together to contribute to promoting sustainable, innovative solutions in the fields of construction, energy and the environment. Solutions that show special consideration for Greenlandic society, the environment and the climatic conditions distinctive of Arctic areas.
“Technology solutions tested in Greenland will be marketable all over the Arctic region.”
Reinforcement of the Greenlandic business community is high on the political agenda. At the same time, there is a genuine desire to combat the damaging effects of global warming on the Arctic climate – effects that are attributable, for example, to the fact that modern society uses almost exclusively fossil fuels – particularly oil in a variety of forms – to generate energy for all kinds of uses.
With oil as its most significant source of energy, Greenland also contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and to the global warming which is now beginning to make its presence felt, particularly around the Arctic and Antarctic poles.
In addition, the price of a barrel of crude oil has skyrocketed from USD 10 in 1999 to around USD 70 in 2006.
In other words, it is essential to find alternative solutions to enable the Greenlandic business community to continue to develop positively. And to ensure that Greenland can keep up – from a global perspective, too.
Some of the funds are to be invested in areas such as improving infrastructure and housing construction, and promoting education, supplementary training, entrepreneurship and innovation. All these initiatives are intended to improve Greenland’s international competitiveness.
