Securitization of scientific cooperation: The case of the Arctic

This article analyses the securitisation of scientific cooperation in the European Arctic Region (EAR), with a focus on Svalbard, using the Copenhagen School framework. It examines how geopolitical tensions, particularly those arising from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the evolving role of China, contribute to the politicisation and potential securitisation of Arctic research. The European Union emerges as a key securitising actor, advancing regulations on research security, dual-use technologies, and foreign interference. While state actors remain the primary decision-makers, functional actors such as think tanks, scientific institutions, and international conferences shape securitising narratives. The Arctic Council, constrained by consensus-based decision-making, primarily acts as a knowledge broker rather than a securitising entity. The study concludes that the securitisation of Arctic scientific cooperation is a dynamic, multi-level process influenced by state and supranational actors with legal and geopolitical legitimacy. However, the extent to which securitising moves are accepted depends on responses from national governments, research institutions, and broader geopolitical developments.