Meet High North Center’s new director: ‘We must rethink Arctic opportunities’

Following the retirement of High North Center founder Frode Mellemvik in the summer of 2024, the search for a new director began.

Now, it has been confirmed that Andreas Raspotnik will take on the role from 1 April 2025.

With a background in Arctic policy and governance, Raspotnik sees the position as an opportunity to refine the center’s strategic direction.

– The Arctic is still surrounded by so many stereotypes. We don’t talk about the Mediterranean the same way we talk about the Arctic. But when it comes to this region, people still assume you have to know everything about every part of it.

That mindset needs to change, he says, emphasizing the need for more nuanced knowledge about the Arctic and better ways to communicate its complexities, particularly from a regional perspective.

Started at the center in 2017

Raspotnik journey to the High North Center began with an academic career focused on Arctic governance. Born in Austria, he first became interested in Arctic policy during an Erasmus exchange semester in Oslo in 2007, just as global awareness of the region was increasing.

His research took him to Tromsø, Brussels, Cologne, Edinburgh, and later Washington D.C., where he worked on the European Union’s Arctic policy and the Arctic’s blue economy as a potential pillar of regional cooperation.

In 2017, he joined the High North Center as a senior researcher, working closely with its former director and founder, Frode Mellemvik.

– I wouldn’t have applied for this position if it wasn’t for Frode. He gave me the opportunity to join the center, and his leadership and kindness shaped so much of what the center is today.

Strengthening the center’s role

One of Raspotnik’s main priorities when he starts is reinforcing the High North Center’s role in Arctic business discussions. While much has been said about economic opportunities in the region, he believes there is a lack of critical discussion on what Arctic business actually means in practice.

The same narratives keep repeating—shipping routes, resources—but the Arctic economy is far more complex, he explains.

– We need to better explain this complexity, and ask tougher questions: What does development mean for a complex region that is the High North?

What does it mean for its communities, both in Norway, the European Arctic and probably beyond?

– What kind of future do we want or not want? What can an institution like the High North Center do to better explain the Arctic of today and tomorrow?

The center’s name itself—High North Center for Business and Governance—offers a clear direction, he says.

Raspotnik wants to strengthen its work at the intersection of policy and economics, ensuring that research translates into practical insights for decision-makers.

Looking ahead: A strategic vision for the Arctic

Raspotnik is stepping into the role at a pivotal time for the Arctic.

As international interest in the region grows, so does the need for clear, well-informed discussions on its economic and political future.

His first priority when he starts in the new position this April, is to engage with the team and partners to understand their perspectives on where the center should go next.

He sees leadership not as a solo effort, but as a collective process.

You can apply to be a director, but in the end, you need a team that helps you succeed

– The first step is listening—hearing what people within the center think, what ideas they have, and how we can strengthen our role together.

The work ahead is complex, but for the new director, that is precisely what makes it exciting. His own background reflects a blend of influences and connections across borders.

While his first name, Andreas, is common in both Norway and Austria, his last name often sparks curiosity.

– Raspotnik isn’t actually an Austrian name—it’s Slovenian, he explains.

His grandfather was from Slovenia and moved to Austria after World War II.

– It means something like ‘living at a crossing,’ which is kind of fitting considering my career has always been about connecting different regions and perspectives.

Dean on the choice

The person who chose Raspotnik as the center’s new director, dean Gry Agnete Alsos at Nord University Business School, shares why he was a good choice:

– With Andreas Raspotnik, the High North Center will get a leader with strong, research-based competence on Arctic business and policy and with an extensive international network related to these issues.

– He will be a good person to further develop the High North Center and to further strengthen its position within Arctic issues related to business and governance. We are really happy he accepted this position with us, Alsos says.