![](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1719 323" />)
Arctic podcast receives 275,000 DKK in funding
The Polynya Effect is returning with ten new episodes.
The money comes from the Nordic Arctic Programme and will support a new two-year edition of the podcast, with a mix of live roundtables and deep-dive feature episodes.
The project brings together the Arctic Mayors’ Forum, the High North Center for Business and Governance at Nord University, Sermersooq Municipality, Luleå Municipality and Oulu Municipality.
Carter Ayasse hosted the first edition of The Polynya Effect, which was produced at the High North Center.
“The first season started with a pretty simple question: why does entrepreneurship in the Arctic work differently? This time we can go much further and look at some of the bigger issues shaping communities across the region,” he shares.
Adressing important Arctic questions
The first four episodes focused on entrepreneurship. Ayasse spoke with entrepreneurs, policymakers and organisations in Norway and Canada about what it takes to build a business in the North.
“Doing business up here is different from the Silicon Valley playbook. I wanted to understand why, and what the rest of the world can learn from it,” Ayasse said when the podcast was launched.
The new edition will go beyond entrepreneurship.
Each episode will focus on a larger issue facing Arctic communities. Local leaders, youth, and experts will talk about what they are seeing locally and what it means to them.
“There is a lot of attention on the Arctic right now, but too often the conversation starts somewhere else. I want this series to start with the people who actually live, work, and create here.”
Stories from across the Arctic
The topics have not been decided yet. They will be developed together with the project partners.
Sermersooq, Luleå and Oulu will help find topics and guests in their communities. The Arctic Mayors’ Forum will involve municipalities through its wider network, while the High North Center will contribute research, production and communication. Young people and Indigenous participants are also part of the plans for the series.
Work on the new edition starts this autumn. The first episode is planned for early 2027, with ten episodes total; seven live roundtables and three feature episodes
