The Arctic region consists of Northern regions of EU countries (Arctic Finland and Arctic Sweden); the non-EU European Arctic (Greenland, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Arctic Norway); Northern Russia and the American Arctic.

Smart Specialisation concept developed for higher impact of the research and innovation investments of EU countries has found very relevant applications in European Arctic regions. Joint Communication by the European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on ‘An integrated European Union policy for the Arctic’ (2016) states that adaptation and implementation of regional smart specialisation strategies is a way to support sustainable growth models based on more sustainable use of resources.

Since 2015 the S3 Platform has been examining conditions and implications for Smart Specialisation in sparsely populated areas including Nordic regions, suggesting a tailor-made approach due to the challenges of critical mass and absorptive capacity. In 2018 this work has been elaborated further with focus on the European Arctic. The research confirmed that smart specialisation has potential to bring broad social and economic benefits and also to fit into the context of other Arctic regions beyond the EU. Collaboration on joint opportunities is the proved way to create sustainable and long-term smart specialisation solutions in the Arctic.