Andreas Raspotnik Appointed as New Director for High North Center

Andreas Raspotnik

Andreas Raspotnik (42) is the new director of the High North Center for Business and Governance, located in Bodø, northern Norway. With a background in Arctic research and policy, he aims to challenge stereotypes and rethink how Arctic opportunities are communicated and developed. (Photo: Markus J. Thonhaugen/High North Center)

Raspotnik will take over as director from April 1. 

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

Now, it has been confirmed that Andreas Raspotnik (42) from Austria, 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 do not 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", the new director states in a press release from the High North Center.

Since 2017

Raspotnik first became interested in Arctic policy during an Erasmus exchange semester in Oslo in 2007.

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.

The same narratives keep repeating

Andreas Raspotnik, Director of the High North Center

In 2017, he joined the High North Center as a senior researcher.  

Complexed region

One of Raspotnik’s main priorities when he starts is reinforcing the High North Center’s role in Arctic business discussions. 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", Raspotnik says.

The new director embraces the complex work ahead. Raspotnik's Slovenian surname, meaning "living at a crossing," reflects his career connecting different perspectives across borders—a fitting parallel to his work navigating Arctic policy challenges. 

Dean Gry Agnete Alsos at Nord University Business School is happy that Raspotnik accepted the position. 

"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."

About the High North Center:

The High North Center for Business and Governance​ is an international center for research, education and communication, connected to societal and business development in the Arctic. It is located in Bodø, northern Norway, and is connected to Nord University.

High North News is an independent newspaper published by the High North Center at the Nord university. High North News follows the Norwegian Press Code of Ethics and is edited according to the Association of Norwegian Editors – Rights and Duties of the Editor.

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