Fostering innovation in Arctic food industries

This Field Report describes the stages in the development of the Arctic Food Innovation Cluster (AFIC). Motivation for AFIC arose during research supported by the Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group, which found the development of Arctic food industries was constrained by a general absence of innovation in primary and secondary product development. Through a series of iterative stages—scoping, consultations, design—a vision for AFIC emerged. This involved the establishment of a central AFIC hub that would promote strategic coordination, direction, and knowledge mobilization between stakeholders. The High North Centre (HNC) for Business and Governance at Nord University in Norway has assumed this central role and will guide the development of the AFIC initiative. The AFIC strategy assumes development of a network of regional pan-Arctic food hubs that will serve as aggregation points for knowledge sharing and strengthening the interconnectivity between local food producers and other value chain actors in the Arctic food system. Ultimately, the goal of AFIC and its associated regional hubs is to help instill a sense of pride, empowerment, health, and wellbeing in Arctic communities through the sustainable development of Arctic food industries.