The Arctic region has long been seen as one of the Earth's most remote frontiers. However, the Arctic is changing quickly, which is important in global governance, geopolitics and the global economy. Temperatures have warmed faster than the rest of the planet; sea ice dramatically declines in summers; exploitation of oil and gas, new (sea) trade routes, tourism and other economic activities are expanding. At the same time, the region, claimed by eight states and inhabited by dozens of groups of Indigenous peoples, has the potential for geopolitical stability and constructive cooperation—a precondition for largely international and multidisciplinary Arctic research.