The aim of the Arctic Sports Cluster is to interact with companies and SME’s in the field of sport in Lapland and in the Arctic region. Furthermore the cluster partnership includes partners in national and EU level. The cluster’s development phase is funded by state regional development funding (AKKE, Sustainable growth and vigor of the regions, 2024–2025, State funding, Regional council of Lapland).
Basic information on Arctic Sports Cluster
The aim of the Arctic Sports Cluster is to help companies in the sports, exercise and well-being industry to grow and develop new products and services. Our unique location in the Arctic and Ounasvaara living lab supports the role of the cluster as hub of development in sports and well-being.
The cluster work is part of European smart specialization thematic partnership ClusSport that aims to strengthen the Sport & Vitality industries at the EU level. All ClusSport regions aim at boosting sport and vitality sectors in their regional economies and on European level. The partnership not only gathers regions, but also regional Q-helix clusters, hence bringing together a large variety of stakeholders from the sport sector and related industries. The ClusSport consortium is focusing on strengthening the regional ecosystems and the development of smart regional innovation hubs for sports and vitality.
These innovation hubs are local ecosystems that support the transfer of technology and knowledge for use into the society and the industry to fulfil the market need and have economical, societal and sports impact.
-
Services
Services:
- Annual conferences on sports and monthly webinars
- SME and company sparring (workshops)
- Rdi-services and facilitation
- Advisory services among cluster members (local, national, EU)
- Networking and participation
- Tailored Services for sports clubs and SMEs, related to sports and wellbeing topics
- Processing new regional initiatives into successful actions (regional, EU level)
-
Cluster initiatives
Cluster initiatives e.g.:
- REBUILD through sports actions among five EU member states
- LAPLAND ON THE MOVE: Increasing physical activity in sparsely populated areas through Arctic sports ”cooperative”
- MOCAP Systems in Gamifying Sports and Wellness Analysis
- MOVEMENT – Developing paths into sport industry in Lapland
- GET FINLAND MOVING – Exercises and physical activity of different target groups
- DIGITAL SPORT AND HEALTHY ACTIVE LIFESTYLE ECOSYSTEM – Digitalization and distance coaching pilot actions
- WHEELS ON WHEELS – Developing sustainable cycling tourism
- LEVI CAMPUS – Employment, education and skills in Kittilä municipality and Levi resort
- MOTOR SKILLS AND COMPENTENCES IN LEARNING – National Sports Institutions network
- VARIOUS OTHER REGIONAL AND INTERREGIONAL INITIATIVES IN PROGRESS
-
Companies and SME’s we work with
Companies and SME’s we work with:
- Comeback Center Ltd – physical rehabilitation services
- Silmäasema Ltd – vision care and eye health, athletes visual testing
- WB Sails Ltd – water sports and sailing
- Roll Outdoors Ltd – cycling and leisure
- Santasport Finland Ltd – sports tourism
- Taitoc Ltd – skills coaching and skill acquisition
- Reiski – sport and leisure services, cross-country skiing
- Vauhti Ltd – sport and leisure services, cross-country skiing
- Lappset Group Ltd – leisure park equipment production
- Unkatek – audiovisual services in the Arctic
- KL Performance Ltd – coaching
- Myyntitalo Hakalat Ltd – coaching
- Nuoriherra – sports and wellbeing consulting and services
- Lapin Kupponen Ltd – leisure and lifestyle services in the Arctic
- Latin Lapland – wellbeing and culture services
- Tarinakone Ltd – Communication, design and facilitation services
- Arctic Factory Ltd – Arctic service design and Rdi services
- Other regional SMEs and companies
*More information to be added.
-
Cooperation partners
Cooperation partners:
- Local partners:
- City of Rovaniemi
- Lapland University of Applied Sciences
- Koyama
- Arctic sport network
- National partners:
- National sport education institutions
- Finnish Institute of High Performance Sport KIHU
- Lab University of Applied Sciences
- Kajaani University of Applied Sciences
- Karelia University of Applied Sciences
- Lahti Sports Hub
- European network partners
- Cluster Sports & Technology
- MSE cluster
- Indescat
- I4VLC
- ATR-ER
- Trentino Sviluppo
- VSSO
- Cluster Montagne
- OSV
- Verde Cluster
- University of Rome foro Italico
- VUB Brussels
- Brabant Sport Services
*Information will be completed.
- Local partners:
-
Events and cluster forums
Events and cluster forums:
- Last week of October 2025: Rovaniemi week of sport (upcoming)
- Webinar 6/6: June 2025 (upcoming)
- Webinar 5/6: How tourism and sports SMEs and companies respond to changing world (Rdi services development) 14.5.2025, leading organization Lapland University of Applied Sciences
- Webinar 4/6: Perceptual-Motor Skills in theory and in practice 7.4.2025
- Webinar 3/6: InShape project and its implementation 14.3.2025
- Webinar 2/6: Clusters and smart specialization 14.2.2025 (national partners)
- Webinar 1/6: what is cluster collaboration 31.1.2025 (national partners)
- Lapland Sports Gala 11.1.2025, Pyhä Resort (FIN)
- EU Sports Funding Infoevent 16.12.2024, Brussels (BEL)
- ELIS Innovation Hub Summit 13.11.2024, Eindhoven (NED)
- Opening of the First Snow Track 26.10.2024, Rovaniemi (FIN)
- Opening of the Arctic Sports Cluster 27.9.2024, Rovaniemi (FIN)
Further information
Niko Niemisalo
Project manager
