international dimension further. The EU’s Interreg and Kolarctic ENPI programmes have strengthened international cooperation in education, research and different types of development activities. The international mobility of university cooperation has developed education and research in global competition. Founded upon the initiative of the University of Lapland in 2001, the Arctic University network has generated strong expertise capital. The network brings together more than 130 actors from Arctic regions. The EU’s Arctic Information Centre has assigned the responsibility for running the centre to the Arctic Centre, which will strengthen Lapland’s international research expertise further. Companies in Lapland are often characterised by a local international dimension. One of the most important industries in Lapland’s regional economy is tourism, the growth of which largely relies on foreign tourists. The globalisation of the tourism market and the increased use of the Internet have improved the visibility of Lapland on even broader international tourism markets. Globalisation and vast natural resources have increased the interest of international large-scale industry in Lapland and other Arctic regions. Mining investments have promoted the internationalisation of SMEs in Lapland and also created a competence base for becoming established on the global market. The backbone of Lapland’s economy is the large-scale industry, which relies on the processing of wood and metal and mainly focuses on the global market. In addition, there are SMEs in Lapland that specialise in different fields and whose customers are mainly global. Although Lapland is an international region, internationalisation must be developed further so that it will bring distinct economic added value to the
business sector. The financing of education and RDI operations will also be more dependent on Brussels or the financial aid available from other international sources in the future.
Lapland is the most international region in Finland 2.1.6 Sustainable Lapland Lapland lives out its natural resources and natural conditions, so the ability to maintain balance in sustainable development is a key issue in view of its survival. It is challenging to maintain preconditions for sustainable development under Arctic conditions. Special challenges are posed by the broad international interest shown towards natural resources (especially minerals and metals). The mining industry is establishing itself in Lapland, which has aroused a lot of debate on how to reach a balance between economic interests, the environment, and social and cultural factors. The mining industry will generate awaited investments in the region, which in turn will promote employment and development in cities and municipalities. On the other hand, one must make sure that mining economics is capable of living side by side with other industries, such as tourism, reindeer husbandry and industries based on renewable natural resources. The challenges posed by the need to combine different sectors (such as land use) are constantly evident in Lapland, too, and regional development work is based on compromises and taking account of the needs of different stakeholders.
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