Abstract
Russia’s Arctic digital transformation is a strategic priority for the state. It is supposed to facilitate the socioeconomic development of the Russian Far North, which remains partly cut off from broadband connection and basic Internet services. Another role of digitalization is to enhance transportation and logistics in the Arctic to further explore its resource potential and advance the Northern Sea Route (NSR) as a viable alternative to existing ship** routes connecting Europe and Asia. Over recent years, a number of initiatives were introduced in this sphere, inter alia Gazprom Neft “Kapitan” system or the NSR integrated digital platform; these are aimed at modernizing port infrastructure and workflow, saving transportation costs, and ensuring year-long navigation along the Arctic coast considering environmental risks, weather, and ice conditions. The NSR is also viewed as a short and reliable route for transmitting data via submarine cables with two competing projects on the table – the private “Arctic Connect” and the state-funded “Polar Express.” The chapter addresses the questions of the Arctic digital transformation in terms of digital technologies development, certain countries’ experience with a special emphasis on the Russian digital projects, and strategic interests.
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Pichkov, O.B., Ulanov, A.A., Patrunina, K.A. (2022). Digitalization of the Arctic. In: Pak, E.V., Krivtsov, A.I., Zagrebelnaya, N.S. (eds) The Handbook of the Arctic. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9250-5_22-1
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