Meyer, A., Adams, R.-M., & Elixhauser, S. (2026). “Lifelines and Gateways: The Relational Affordances of Arctic Airports.” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 55(1), 37-62. https://doi.org/10.1177/08912416251398478 (Original work published 2026)

Tasiilaq, East Greenland. Photo by Sophie Elixhauser.

Svalbard Airport, Longyearbyen. Photo by Alexandra Meyer.

Rovaniemi Airport runway. Photo by Ria-Maria Adams.

✈️ Airports are vital to #Arctic life, yet often shaped by geopolitical and economic interests.

An ethnographic comparison of Longyearbyen, Rovaniemi & Tasiilaq by Meyer, Adams & Elixhauser is now #openaccess in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography. #InfraNorth

🔗 infranorth.eu/news/dec-202...

Feb 9, 2026: Talk by Philipp Budka at the University of Manchester’s Social Anthropology Seminar Series - InfraNorth On Monday, February 9, 2026, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm (GMT), InfraNorth researcher Philipp Budka will deliver a guest talk as part of the seminar series of the Department of Social Anthropology at the Uni...

🗓️ Feb 9: #InfraNorth researcher Philipp Budka will give a talk titled “Sovereignty by Design: Community #Infrastructures in Remote Canada” as part of the seminar series of the Department of Social #Anthropology at the University of Manchester. @philbu.bsky.social @uomsoss.bsky.social

Dec 2025: Article by Peter Schweitzer, et al. in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography - InfraNorth The Journal of Contemporary Ethnography has recently published the article “Scenarios and Ethnography: Infrastructural Futures as Windows into the Present” by Peter Schweitzer, Olga Povoroznyuk, Phili...

❓ What can scenario workshops offer to the #anthropology of #infrastructure that other ethnographic methods might not?

This #openaccess article by Schweitzer et al. in 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺 reflects on #InfraNorth scenario workshops in #Kirkenes & #Churchill 👇

@journals.sagepub.com

When Vehicles Fail: The Fragile Infrastructure of Arctic Mobility - InfraNorth By Elena Davydova, Ria-Maria Adams and Katrin Schmid In the Arctic, a journey is as unpredictable as the weather. From Chukotka’s tundra to Scandinavian roads and Canadian backcountry trails, mobility...

🚗💥 In the #Arctic, a journey is as unpredictable as the weather.

From Chukotka’s tundra to Scandinavian roads and Canadian far-north trails, breakdowns reveal a common logic of Arctic mobility: #infrastructure is both material and relational.

Three #InfraNorth researchers share their experiences:

Dec 2025: Peter Schweitzer Interviewed on Austrian Public Radio Ö1 - InfraNorth The Austrian public broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) featured InfraNorth principal investigator Peter Schweitzer in an interview on its Ö1 weekend feuilleton “Diagonal” on December 6, 2025,...

🎧🌏 #InfraNorth PI Peter Schweitzer on Austrian public radio Ö1 traced the history of ideas around an #Arctic Silk Road, circumpolar shipping routes, and the proposed Bering Strait tunnel—from promises of #infrastructure to geopolitical ambitions and local realities. Listen online (in German only):

Dec 2025: Article by Katrin Schmid in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography - InfraNorth The Journal of Contemporary Ethnography has published the article “Amazon in the Arctic: E-Commerce, Infrastructure, and Alimentary Assemblages in Nunavut, Canada” by InfraNorth researcher Katrin Schm...

✈️ New #openaccess article in the 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺!

📦 “Amazon in the Arctic: E-Commerce, Infrastructure, and Alimentary Assemblages in #Nunavut, Canada” by #InfraNorth researcher Katrin Schmid.

@journals.sagepub.com @univie.ac.at

Dec 2025: Peter Schweitzer Appointed to the European Polar Board’s Executive Committee - InfraNorth Peter Schweitzer, Principal Investigator of InfraNorth, has been appointed to the Executive Committee (EXCOM) of the European Polar Board (EPB). His election took place during the Board’s autumn plena...

📣 We are excited to announce that Peter Schweitzer, Principal Investigator of #InfraNorth and APRI board member, has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the European Polar Board.

@europeanpolarboard.bsky.social @austrianpolar.bsky.social
@univie.ac.at #PolarResearch

Symbolic recognition isn’t enough. Indigenous communities in Canada face unresolved issues in water, energy & transport #infrastructure and demand real say in decisions that meet their long-term needs. #InfraNorth researcher Philipp Budka highlighted this issue at the “GAME ON!” press conference.

Dec 2025: Article by Olga Povoroznyuk in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography - InfraNorth The Journal of Contemporary Ethnography recently published the article “Toward a Comparative Ethnography of Arctic Seaports Projects: Local Impacts of Expanding Maritime Infrastructure in Alaska, Norw...

📰 New article by #InfraNorth researcher Olga Povoroznyuk in the Journal of Contemporary #Ethnography!

“Toward a Comparative Ethnography of #Arctic Seaports Projects: Local Impacts of Expanding Maritime #Infrastructure in Alaska, Norway, and Russia”

@journals.sagepub.com @univie.ac.at #openaccess

Davydova, Elena, and Povoroznyuk, Olga. Temporality of Arctic Transport Infrastructure: Bridging Seasonal Supply in Egvekinot, Chukotka. In Polar Geography, 2025 (in print). https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2025.2592137

View of Zaliv Kresta and Evgekinot. Photo by Elena Davydova. Published in Polar Journal: https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2025.2592137

📢 New paper alert! Polar Geography has just released the article “𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗴𝘃𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘁, 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗸𝗼𝘁𝗸𝗮” by #InfraNorth researchers Elena Davydova and Olga Povoroznyuk. @univie.ac.at

🔗 Find out more: infranorth.eu/news/dec-202...

“In northern Canada, transport is essential for daily life. My research focused on Churchill, Manitoba, which has no road connection and is the only place in the North American Arctic with a deep-sea port linked to a railway system.” – Philipp Budka (University of Vienna/InfraNorth).

“In 2017, flooding damaged the railway and cut the town off for 18 months, revealing how transport sustains northern communities and how vulnerable that lifeline can be.” – Philipp Budka (University of Vienna/InfraNorth)

“After the 2017 railway disruption, local and Indigenous communities in northern Manitoba took ownership of the railway and port. This gave them more control over transport and local development. Churchill’s experience shows that community-led decision-making can make infrastructure more reliable and fairer.” – Philipp Budka (University of Vienna/InfraNorth)

“When the railway stopped working, Churchill became isolated. Instead of giving up, local and Indigenous communities worked together to buy and manage the railway and port. It is now one of the few community-owned transport systems of its kind in Canada and a strong example of local cooperation and resilience.” – Philipp Budka (University of Vienna/InfraNorth)

💡 As #InfraNorth enters its final stage, we spotlight the people behind the research, starting with Philipp Budka, who focused on #Churchill, Manitoba. His research shows how local ownership and community-led decisions can make #infrastructure more reliable & fair.

@philbu.bsky.social @univie.ac.at

Flying into Frictioned Futures: Development of Canada’s Northernmost Runways | Anthropologica Anthropologica Journal - Canadian Anthropology Society

📄 Katrin Schmid’s “Flying into Frictioned Futures” examines Canada’s northernmost runways, how materiality shapes access & mobility in #Nunavut, frictions between residents’ aspirations and infrastructural realities, and advocates Nunavummi-centered solutions. @anthropologica.bsky.social #InfraNorth

In the latest issue of @anthropologica.bsky.social, #InfraNorth researcher @philbu.bsky.social contributes the article “Infrastructural Disruption, Entanglement and Change in Northern #Manitoba,” where he examines how #Churchill residents live with, adapt to, and reimagine infrastructure.

🏗️❄️🛳️ #Arctic transport is at a crossroads. Reconciling global drivers with local needs is a major policy and planning challenge. The #InfraNorth workshop brought together diverse voices to support sustainable, inclusive Arctic #transportation futures. The dialogue continues – more soon! @univie.ac.at

Alexandra Meyer (University of Vienna/InfraNorth) and Julia Olsen (Nord University) present a poster on their collective paper, “Building transdisciplinary bridges and learning from the Svalbard context,” at the Svalbard Science Conference 2025, representing a team of co-authors.

Recommendations for transdisciplinary research in Svalbard. Figure from Olsen, Julia, Alexandra Meyer, Lisbeth Iversen, Ulrich Schildberg, Ragnhild Holmen Bjørnsen, Grete K. Hovelsrud, James Badu, et al. 2025. “Building Transdisciplinary Bridges and Learning from the Svalbard Context.” The Polar Journal, October, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/2154896X.2025.2569950

#InfraNorth researcher Alexandra Meyer co-presented with Julia Olsen at the #Svalbard Science Conference, sharing insights from their collective article “Building transdisciplinary bridges and learning from the Svalbard context,” now open-access in The Polar Journal.

🔗 infranorth.eu/news/nov-202...

Nov 5, 2025: Presentation by Philipp Budka at the University of Vienna - InfraNorth On November 5, 2025, at 5:00 pm CET, InfraNorth researcher Philipp Budka will deliver a lecture titled “Sovereignty by Design: Community Infrastructures and Relational Futures in Remote Canada,” as pa...

📅 Join us this Wednesday, Nov 5, at 5 pm CET, for a lecture by #InfraNorth researcher Philipp Budka, on infrastructural sovereignty in remote Canadian communities.

🌐 Hybrid at Uni Wien & Zoom, no registration needed. More details on the link below!

@philbu.bsky.social @univie.ac.at #Infrastructure

Jan 2026: InfraNorth Contributions to Forthcoming Book “Arctic Silk Roads” - InfraNorth InfraNorth researchers contribute two chapters to the forthcoming book Arctic Silk Roads: An Anthropology of the Unbuilt, edited by Natalia Magnani and Matthew Magnani. The volume will be published by...

📚 #InfraNorth researchers contribute two chapters to 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗸 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀: 𝗔𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 (Berghahn Books, eds. N. & M. Magnani, Jan 2026).

🚢 The forthcoming book traces how melting sea ice fuels global imaginaries of #Arctic routes and #infrastructure visions shaping local agency.

Oct 2025: Presentation by Olga Povoroznyuk and Peter Schweitzer in Anchorage, Alaska - InfraNorth Olga Povoroznyuk and Peter Schweitzer presented findings from the InfraNorth project at the ARCA co-creative community workshop “Biocultural Heritage and Climate Adaptation in Arctic Cities,” held on ...

Olga Povoroznyuk and Peter Schweitzer are in #Alaska, where they presented #InfraNorth findings at the #ARCA workshop “Biocultural Heritage and Climate Adaptation in Arctic Cities,” linking their research on #Arctic transport infrastructures and biocultural heritage as a climate adaptation resource.

Oct 1, 2025: InfraNorth Presentations at the 2025 GASCA Conference “Un/Commoning Anthropology” - InfraNorth On October 1, 2025, InfraNorth researchers Philipp Budka, Elena Davydova, Katrin Schmid and Susanna Gartler will present at the 2025 conference of the German Association for Social and Cultural Anthro...

Next week, four #InfraNorth researchers will present at the 2025 GASCA/DGKSA conference, on how #infrastructures sustain & transform livelihoods; epistemologies & methodologies of accompanied research; and commoning practices in the #Arctic.

@philbu.bsky.social @dgska.bsky.social #Anthropology

Alessandro Rippa gives the keynote lecture of the Beyond Infrastructure conference at the University of Vienna, September 22. 2025.

In his keynote lecture, Alessandro Rippa takes us on a journey across the China-Burma borderlands to examine #Anthropocene landscapes as extended #infrastructure space.

🔗 infranorth.eu/beyond-infrastructure-conference/

#BeyondInfrastructure #InfraNorth @alessandrorippa.bsky.social @univie.ac.at

Beyond Infrastructure? (Un-)built Environments in the Anthropocene - InfraNorth Beyond Infrastructure? (Un-)built Environments in the Anthropocene International Conference, University of Vienna, September 22 – 24, 2025 About the conference Keynote lecture Registration Program Fre...

🙌 Excited to kick off the #BeyondInfrastructure #conference today with a keynote lecture by Alessandro Rippa (University of Oslo)!

🏗️ Scholars from diverse fields will engage in interdisciplinary discussions on #infrastructure and beyond.

@alessandrorippa.bsky.social @univie.ac.at #InfraNorth

Sep 10, 2025: Presentation by Alexis Sancho Reinoso at the EUGEO Congress 2025 - InfraNorth At the EUGEO Congress 2025 in Vienna, held at the Austrian Academy of Sciences from September 8 to 11, Alexis Sancho Reinoso will present a paper co-authored with Timothy Heleniak: “Turning the Faroes...

🗣 Today at #EUGEO2025 Congress @oeaw.bsky.social, @alexissancho.bsky.social presents a paper coauthored with Timothy Heleniak, based on #InfraNorth research in the #FaroeIslands:

📄 “Turning the Faroes Into One City – Demographic & Spatial Impacts of 60 Years of Transport Infrastructure Expansion.”

Transport Realities Across the Arctic: Insights from the InfraNorth Questionnaire Survey - InfraNorth By Alexis Sancho-Reinoso What questions can travel across communities that share little beyond snow and latitude, and still make sense in each place? That was the challenge we faced in the InfraNorth ...

❄️ What questions can travel across #Arctic communities that share little beyond snow and latitude, and still make sense in each place?

📝 The #InfraNorth survey set out to gather comparable data on #transport realities across the circumpolar North.

✍️ @alexissancho.bsky.social reflects:

🛻 After a two-day journey on wheels, the 113-year-old church of #Kiruna, which was at risk of being swallowed by the iron ore mine, arrives safely at the new city centre. #InfraNorth has been following the events from afar...

▶️ #InfraNorth researcher Philipp Budka delivered the social sciences keynote at the International Digital Security Forum #IDSF2025 in Vienna. He reflected on past and ongoing research, linking questions around #sovereignty and (digital) #infrastructure. The talk is now available to watch online! 👇

✨ Ria-Maria Adams, #InfraNorth researcher at @univie.ac.at, reflects on (and shares impressions from) her experience at the #EdgeNet workshop on #peripheries research at @umeauniversitet.bsky.social 👇

🏗️✈️ What role can #comparison play in the #anthropology of #infrastructures? Some insights from the panel chaired by @riaadams.bsky.social at the #FAC2025 Finnish #Anthropology conference in Helsinki @helsinki.fi @univie.ac.at #InfraNorth

#InfraNorth researcher @riaadams.bsky.social is in Helsinki, taking part in the #FAC2025 Finnish Anthropology conference, where she presented a paper and chaired the panel “Rethinking #Infrastructure through Comparative Lenses.” @univie.ac.at #UHel

🔗 Learn more: infranorth.eu/news/jun-17-...

New article in Visual Anthropology: “Framing Multipolar Tourism: Imaginaries, Visualities and Futures” by Jolynna Sinanan, Ria-Maria Adams and Philipp Budka (2025)- InfraNorth The peer-reviewed academic journal Visual Anthropology has just published the article “Framing Multipolar Tourism: Imaginaries, Visualities and Futures,” written jointly by Jolynna Sinanan (University...

📸🌌 How do imaginaries of remote, climate-vulnerable places emerge through #tourism #infrastructures?

📝 Visual #Anthropology: “Framing Multipolar Tourism: Imaginaries, Visualities and Futures” by J. Sinanan (@manchester.ac.uk), @riaadams.bsky.social & @philbu.bsky.social of @univie.ac.at #InfraNorth

May 28, 2025: Le Nunavoix Features Research by Katrin Schmid - InfraNorth A recent article written by journalist Karine Lavoie for Le Nunavoix, a French-language community newspaper published in Nunavut, reports on the recent visit of InfraNorth researcher Katrin Schmid to ...

#LeNunavoix, a French-language newspaper in #Nunavut, features Katrin Schmid’s research (based on 170 interviews in five Qikiqtani communities) on the link between #transport #infrastructure and #food #sovereignty, and how this relationship shapes Nunavut’s future.
#FrCan #InfraNorth @univie.ac.at