There are significant climate challenges in the partner regions with different types of harsh weather. Low temperature, hard winds, and rain/ snow conditions can be very extreme in the NPA regions.  This work package, led by Narvik Science Park, will consider how to find the best process conditions for business in remote NPA communities, where knowledge transfer and business models are often biased by a harsh climate and other geographically related issues.

Work package 4 will be guided by the following objectives:

• Gain a thorough understanding of the unique climatic and physical conditions including the infrastructure of NPA regions, particularly arctic regions, and how these impact on the success of local SMEs and start-ups.
• Identify existing deficiencies of renewable energy businesses and related technologies, business models and infrastructure that arise as a direct result of the climatic environment and operating conditions of the NPA regions, particularly the arctic and high north regions;
• Identify how NPA regions can harness the physical and climatic conditions of the sparsely populated areas in which they are located, so that these assets are utilised more effectively in order to support the delivery of smart business and technology solutions;
• Review locale specific (particularly cold climate) innovations from technology providers and facilitate knowledge transfer from these providers to potential providers and new entrants to the renewable energy markets in other regions of the NPA.

The activities in this work package are:

Activity 1: Review the specific climate and physical challenges of remote areas of the NPA which will seek to develop a thorough understanding of the challenges facing NPA regions, particularly those in arctic regions, and will document them as important baseline considerations for further research in later WP4 activities.

Activity 2: A Review the implications of harsh operating conditions on technologies and business models will investigate how challenges identified in Activity 4.1 specifically impact on renewable energy related technologies and businesses. It will seek to identify existing deficiencies in RE technology and businesses that have arisen as a direct result of the climatic and physical challenges identified in Activity 4.1 and to determine how these assets could be more effectively utilised in order to support the delivery of smart business and technology solutions.  It will review the appropriateness of existing technologies and business models and their capacity to adapt to local conditions. It will also explore specific technology solutions and business models that can best address arctic challenges and conditions. There will be a focus on identifying how technology solutions and business models can successfully adapt and take advantage of the unique physical and climatic conditions of the NPA partner regions.

Activity 3: Present best practice solutions in addressing the challenges of RE business in harsh climate regions. Advantages and disadvantages arising for renewable energy technologies and businesses within the NPA regions identified as a result of the activities 4.1 and 4.2 will be documented as part of this activity. This will result in a database of recommendations on how to optimise external operational conditions in RE business planning and strategic decision making.