The renewed interest for the utilization of the arctic routes from both the academia and the maritime industry indicates the importance of undertaking an integrated study of arctic shipping.

The aim of this study is to examine the potential of the so-called arctic routes – such as the Northern Sea Route, the Northwest Passage and the Transpolar Passage – from both the economic and environmental perspectives compared to the conventional routes via the the Suez and Panama Canals.

The study also seeks to investigate the impact of arctic shipping on the maritime markets as well as the potential of the supply chain network design in reference to the exploitation and transportation of natural resources from the arctic region to the global markets.