Dr Anna Bidgood of iCRAG at UCD has been selected as an Emerging Leader by Arctic Frontiers.
Arctic Frontiers is a catalyst for decision-making and network building by mobilizing key voices of science, policy, business, and local Arctic communities, to rapidly turn knowledge into actions. Through outreach activities and with competent and committed partners on arctic issues, Arctic Frontiers sets the agenda for a responsible and sustainable development of the Arctic.
Emerging Leaders is an early-career and mentoring program in the Arctic for young professionals from the academic, industry and policy sector. The program brings together leaders and mentors, and indigenous, business, and policy representatives, to tell the Arctic stories in an educational journey through Northern Norway. Through training, educational and cultural activities, and the contributions of competent and committed partners, the Emerging Leaders program serves as an international and cross-cultural platform for dialogue and exchange to support the arctic leaders of the future.
Anna’s research aims to understand how we form mineral deposits containing technology and critical metals in the Earth’s crust, which are crucial for the production of low-carbon technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels and electric cars. Her research aims to describe the relationship between mineralisation, fluid chemistry and mineral growth in the Central African Copperbelt, the world’s primary source of cobalt, which is critical for the production of batteries needed to help decarbonise our societies. Anna’s research also applies the geological knowledge from well-known regions such as Central Africa to the Arctic, where resource potential is high, whilst at the same time balancing the environmental and societal risks of resource extraction with our need for critical metals. Anna has been on numerous geological and mountaineering expeditions to the Arctic, including geological expeditions to North-East Greenland. These experiences have further developed her academic interest, personal fascination and sheer love of these northern landscapes, ecosystems and communities.
Through the programme, Dr Bidgood will partake on an immersive 7-day experience, which includes a 5-day journey throughout the Norwegian Arctic starting January 28th. The journey starts in Bodø, continues to the Lofoten islands, and ends in Tromsø. Along this trip, the participants will meet with various mentors and representatives of different sectors and engage in contemporary discussions and workshops on environment, resource management, security, the development of business and technology in the Arctic. The program finishes off with the 2-day attendance of Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø. Here, the participants will make their own contribution to the conference and engage with high-level Arctic representatives.