Morten Brugård

Morten Brugård is Adviser with the Norwegian Barents Secretariat and coordinator of the Norwegian part of the Young Innovative Entrepreneurs project in the Barents Region.

Peak oil is approaching

Advances in fuel-efficient and renewable-energy technologies are curbing demand for fossil fuels and may end the oil era in the Arctic before it begins.

May 03, 2013

Young Innovative Entrepreneurs

The future of the Barents region depends on its ability to foster youth entrepreneurship to create new jobs, new markets and new products. Within the ENPI Kolartic programme Young Innovative Entrepreneurs we strive to support and inspire young entrepreneurs in order to create dense networks that may be the first step towards a self-sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystem in Barents.

April 22, 2013

Erlend Tellnes and Ina Bjørnrå from Greenpeace at Arctic Frontiers in Tromsø. Photo: Morten Brugård

- Climate change is not an invitation

Ina Bjørnrå from Greenpeace stresses the fact that a melting Arctic is alarming. The recent focus on the Arctic revolves around the opportunities arising as polar ice retracts, rather than the challenges climate changes are causing.

January 23, 2013

Carl Bildt, Espen Barth Eide, Leona Aglukkaq and Magnus Johannesson at the signing at Framsenteret. Photo: Morten Brugård

Norway says yes to China in Arctic Council

Signing the Arctic Council Host Country agreement in Tromsø yesterday, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide explicitly expressed that he will work towards admitting China observer status in the Arctic Council. Carl Bildt, Chair of the Arctic Council and Swedish Foreign Minister supported the statement.

January 22, 2013

Skiing in Lyngsalpene i Troms is a marvellous experience between high mountain peaks and the Arctic ocean. Photo: Ørjan Bertelsen

Winter tourism surges

Tour operators in the Barents region experience a high influx of ready-to-spend tourists. New trends are tourists willing to pay a higher price for niche products like Arctic winter tourism.

January 07, 2013

Photo: Jonas Karlsbakk

Russia ranked way down on corruption index

Transparency International, a civil society anti-corruption watchdog, ranked Russia 133rd out of a total of 174 in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2012.

December 06, 2012

Vitaly Kocherin (left), Satu Maarit Natunen and Reidar Solberg team up to boost Sami entrepreneurship. Photo: Morten Brugård

Sami entrepreneurship without borders

Vitaly Kocherin, Satu Maarit Natunen and Reidar Solberg come from three different countries in Sápmi and by sharing experiences hope to boost their businesses.

October 16, 2012

Photo: Morten Brugård

Ready for private initiatives in the Barents region

This is the Norwegian group of the young entrepreneurs contributing to cross-border economic and social development in the Barents region.

September 26, 2012

Photo: Saipem.it

Goliat drilling to start in October

The appraisal well will be part of a drilling project which is to last for 50 days and is the initiation of the drilling program for the Goliat field, Norway’s first operating oil-field in the Barents Sea.

July 13, 2012

Unique platform for the north

Statoil awards Technip to build world’s largest Spar platform for the Aasta Hansteen field outside the coast of northern-Norway. Production start-up is at the end of 2016.

July 12, 2012

First oil from Yamal

With trucks and railway, Gazprom Neft this winter transported the first 10000 tons of oil from the Novoportovskoye field in the Yamal Peninsula.

May 16, 2013 Comments

Where the wind blows the most

The Varanger Kraft company is investing almost €80 million in a wind power project on Norway's Arctic coast, at one of the most windy spots in Europe.

May 07, 2013 Comments

Preparing for visit to Kirkenes, Medvedev says drill May 03, 2013
Gazprom boosts offshore reserves May 03, 2013
Rosneft, Novatek join efforts against Gazprom May 02, 2013
Skrugard-Havis fields renamed April 23, 2013
Norway ready to drill along Russian border May 03, 2013
Labor party supports impact study of Arctic drilling April 22, 2013
Shtokman forever in mind April 18, 2013
Norwegian gas for Russian Barents April 17, 2013
Construction of Sabetta port to start this summer April 18, 2013
Italians ready to map Russian-Norwegian waters April 16, 2013
Statoil wants back into Shtokman April 16, 2013
Statoil postpones world's northernmost drilling April 15, 2013
Kovtun asks Government for new nuclear plant April 15, 2013

Hercules investigation report postponed for fifth time

The investigation report after the Hercules aircraft crash in Kebnekaise in March 2012 is still not ready and has been postponed for the fifth time.

May 07, 2013 Comments

Norwegian-Russian POMOR-2013 naval exercise starts this week

Norwegian and Russian naval forces will soon be ready to start the annual POMOR exercise. Norway’s frigate “KNM Helge Ingstad” today arrived at the Northern Fleet’s main base of Severomorsk.

May 07, 2013 Comments

Nuke missile subs mostly at port May 06, 2013
NATO visit to Northern Norway May 06, 2013
Nuclear traffic jam April 29, 2013
Fire-struck nuke bomber frequent flyer outside Norway April 11, 2013
Removes emblems to make faceless subs April 10, 2013
Nuclear watchdog expects more secret voyages April 06, 2013
Secret nuclear cargo shipped around Norway April 05, 2013
Russia starts air force drills in Karelia March 20, 2013
Arctic Convoys veterans finally honored March 20, 2013
Testing equipment for Arctic Brigade March 19, 2013
FSB can tap your Skype without court order March 14, 2013
Cyber spies targeting Norway March 11, 2013
Fewer women in Russian Armed Forces March 08, 2013

Arctic Biodiversity Assessment released

KIRUNA: the Arctic Council’s biodiversity group today released the “Arctic Biodiversity Assessment”, a report containing the best available science on the status and trends of Arctic biodiversity and accompanying policy recommendations for biodiversity conservation.

May 15, 2013 Comments

Landmark carbon dioxide levels bad news for Arctic

Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are poised to consistently climb above 400 parts per million for the first time in human history - a reality that has damning implications for the Arctic.

May 14, 2013 Comments

The Arctic is pushed north May 08, 2013
Barents Sea will have floating garbage patch in 50 years May 08, 2013
Poisonous May day celebrations May 08, 2013
More pollution monitoring needed, say Barents scientists May 08, 2013
New report shows extensive ocean acidification May 06, 2013
Tundra oil spill May 02, 2013
Record amounts of snow crab in Barents Sea April 29, 2013

King crab fishing
In Kola Peninsula, environmentalists deal blow to Acron April 24, 2013
Melting Arctic gives cold spring April 22, 2013
Lofoten needs better oil spill preparedness April 19, 2013
Fishery agreement for the North Pole needed April 18, 2013
New leakage from Finnish Talvivaara mine April 08, 2013
Joint US-Russian climate change mission to the Arctic April 04, 2013

New credits save Lapland iron

After having been on the verge of bankruptcy, the Northland Resources now confirms that it has the funding needed for continued development of the great Kaunisvaara iron mine project in northern Sweden.

May 08, 2013 Comments