Well-functioning telecommunications are a crucial component in emergency preparedness. The Arctic Council has a specialized working group on these issues whose findings could be of interest also for a broader Arctic dimension. Telemedicine has been identified as a factor in improving quality of life in remote Arctic areas. The lack of a reliable physical infrastructure limits expansion of telemedicine in many remote parts of the Arctic. There is a great interest in developing closer contacts among experts on telemedicine in different parts of the Arctic so that they can share experiences on how difficulties could be best overcome.
Distance learning is another obvious priority.
The University of the Arctic is developing a network to link institutions of higher and vocational education in the Arctic. Increasing demand is expected in fields such as entertainment and leisure services, communication, education, health and social services, government and other public services and tourism. Digital content production and other software output would fit remarkably well into the fragile Arctic environment. For example, the University of Lapland is trying to grasp the opportunity and has included information technology studies and new media in its curriculum. The birth of new companies is boosted by an associated incubator program.