The Arctic's strategic significance is growing rapidly, driven by climate change, shifting geopolitical interests, and accelerating access to natural resources. Longstanding interest in its vast raw material deposits — exemplified by the complex UNCLOS negotiations over extended continental shelves — is now joined by a broader international push for influence in the region.

At the same time, scientific consensus highlights the Arctic as a climate system amplifier: warming at over four times the global average, it is both a barometer and driver of planetary change. Melting sea ice is transforming previously inaccessible zones into areas ripe for industrial exploitation and opening maritime corridors that may soon be navigable year-round.

These developments carry far-reaching implications. Emerging trade routes promise to reshape global logistics, while new access to critical resources intensifies strategic rivalries. As a result, maritime domain awareness, environmental resilience, and security architectures in the High North are gaining unprecedented relevance — both for civilian infrastructure and defence planning.

Confirmed speakers include:

• F. Govaers, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Germany

• D. Notz, University of Hamburg, Germany

• L. Rabenstein, Drift Noise GmbH, Germany

• R.A. Hakkoer, MOD/COMMIT, Netherlands

• Dr. Adam Lajeunesse, St. Francis Xavier University, Canada

• Dr. Alexander Proelß, University of Hamburg, Germany

We look forward to welcoming you to “The Arctic in Focus” on 17 June 2025—a forward-looking online-workshop hosted by German Maritime Technologies (GMT), in cooperation with the MARISSA-Days initiative, bringing together experts to explore key intersections of science, policy, and strategic foresight.

REGISTER free of charge on the German Association for Marine Technologies website.