The Future of Shipping in the Arctic: New Perspectives on the Next Frontier

This year, levels of ice in the Arctic were the seventh lowest on record. As ice has receded, there has been a corresponding increase in focus on the Arctic North Atlantic as the next area of great industrial expansion. However, despite increased media attention, and a number of predictions that trans-Arctic shipping was about to explode in the region, actual levels of shipping have been muted relative to the publicity. There have been increases, however, in the size and number of ships undertaking destinational voyages along established routes. The current study represents a forecast analysis examining increased levels of shipping in the Arctic, paying specific attention to industrial development in the ANA region.