The Arctic is no longer a quiet frontier. The region has rapidly become a strategic theatre where alliance cohesion, resilience, and technological competition are increasingly being tested. Melting sea ice is opening new shipping routes and resource frontiers, Russia is rebuilding its Northern Fleet capabilities, and China continues to advance its ambitions as a “near-Arctic state.” NATO’s enlargement through Finland and Sweden has reshaped the regional balance, Indigenous communities are demanding a greater voice in the region's future as militarisation and geopolitical competition drastically impact traditional subsistence methods and their way of life, and Arctic observer states, including South Korea and Japan, are deepening their engagement in Arctic affairs. 

Bringing together researchers and organisations from across Europe and North America, NAPF's Arctic Research Collection explores the strategic, geopolitical, and environmental developments shaping the increasingly contested region. In addressing the multitude and complexity of the challenges facing the Arctic today, the collection seeks to contribute to under-explored dimensions of Arctic research and policy debate, offering policy recommendations for what must be done to ensure its long-term safety, security, and stability.