The Arctic is no longer just an endless horizon of ice flooded with silence. It is establishing itself as one of the new centers of gravity of global competition. A region where the routes of climate change intersect with those of geopolitical strategy, transforming it into a natural laboratory of challenges and opportunities for those who want or need to look to the future. This was decisively underlined by Stefano Pontecorvo, president of Leonardo, the leading Italian multinational company in the aerospace, defense and security sectors, which also operates in space, electronics, cyber security and helicopters. The Arctic must be looked at with different eyes. “Today – said Pontecorvo – it represents the point of convergence of a double transition, both environmental and geopolitical. On the one hand, the progressive melting of the permafrost and the transformation of climate patterns are redefining trade routes, economic opportunities and, in parallel, new areas of vulnerability. On the other hand, he explained, “there is a growing militarization of the Arctic space, an intensification of tensions linked to the governance of resources and an ever-increasing interest in the protection of critical infrastructures”. Therefore, the Arctic today represents a strategic frontier where technology, sustainability and security intertwine in a delicate and decisive balance for the global future.
“Facing this challenge – he pointed out – requires a systemic and shared vision, capable of uniting governments, armed forces, industry and the world of research in a path of structured cooperation and responsible innovation”.