UNLEASH will hold its first ever Regional Innovation Lab to take place in Nuuk, Greenland, bringing together 200 young people from across the Nordic and Arctic region to collaborate on ideas and solutions for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

UNLEASH is a global initiative committed to empower and unite passionate youth to develop new innovative, visionary solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNLEASH movement started in Denmark in 2017 and has since then hosted global Innovation Labs in Singapore in 2018 and China in 2019. During COVID-19, UNLEASH has launched a series of digital activities, building capacity among global youth to launch SDG-solutions.

In 2022, UNLEASH will bring the Innovation Lab to Greenland. The Lab will convene 200 young people from 18-35 years across the Nordic and Arctic region to work together on innovative and scalable solutions. This is the first time the Innovation Lab will take place within a regional setting, focusing specifically on sustainability challenges relevant to the regional communities.

Greenland was chosen as an ideal location for a regional UNLEASH Lab due to its strong commitment to sustainable development. The Minister of Finance, Mineral Resources, Justice and Gender Equality of Greenland, Ms. Naaja H. Nathanielsen, states. “A sustainable future is the only option worth pursuing and our government is committed to bringing about real change. Greenland is in the eye of the hurricane when it comes to climate change causing severe consequences such as loss of biodiversity and altered living conditions. Furthermore, we face other challenges such as inequality in access to education and health services. We believe that innovation and collaboration is key for the needed transformation into a more sustainable country, region, and planet. In that respect we are very excited to partner with UNLEASH on this program which has a strong potential for strengthening sustainability and innovation skills amongst our future leaders.”

The Lab will support the Nordic and Arctic youth in co-creating solutions to address challenges that are prevalent across the entire region. Specifically, the Lab will focus on three themes: education, healthcare, and biodiversity and climate change. By immersing themselves in UNLEASH’s innovation program for a week, the participants will be equipped with skills to develop impactful solutions and foster relationships among like-minded talents.

As the capital of Greenland, Nuuk provides an optimal location for hosting the Regional Innovation Lab. Participants will be given ample opportunity to explore the beauty of the area through excursions and cultural activities executed in cooperation with Greenlandic partners.

The Mayor of Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, Charlotte Ludvigsen, states: “Young people are the future of our society. In our municipality, we have intensified our efforts to support entrepreneurship and innovation amongst our young generations. There is a growing movement towards innovation for sustainability, which I believe UNLEASH can help accelerate. We are proud to host the first UNLEASH Regional Lab in our beautiful capital, and we are partnering closely with UNLEASH to ensure that we are building lasting positive impact that can benefit the population. I personally look very much forward to welcoming youth from the entire Nordic and Arctic region and showcase everything we have to offer within innovative and sustainable initiatives.”

The Innovation Lab will take place from the 20^th to 27^th of August in Nuuk, Greenland.

“I am particularly pleased that we will host an Innovation Lab that focuses on the regional challenges of the Arctic and Nordic region, and I cannot think of a better host than Greenland. I recently visited Greenland and had the pleasure of meeting so many talented Greenlanders that are committed to innovation for a sustainable future,” says Flemming Besenbacher, chairman of UNLEASH.

The Innovation Lab Greenland is made possible with contributions from the following Greenlandic and international partners:

Air Greenland, Bank of Greenland, Brugseni, Government of Greenland – Naalakkersuisut, Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, Permagreen Greenland A/S, Royal Greenland, Aage V. Jensen Foundations, The Bikuben Foundation, NAPA, NORA, Nordic Innovation, Oak Foundation Denmark, Porticus and WWF.

For further details concerning the program, please contact [email protected] or go to check our dedicated site.