New collaboration on artificial intelligence and Indigenous health in the Arctic

The Norwegian Centre for E-health Research has received project funding from the Norwegian Barents Secretariat for a new collaboration on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health services for Indigenous peoples in Arctic regions. The project brings together professional communities from Norway, Finland, and Alaska, and aims to build knowledge, facilitate experience-sharing, and strengthen future cooperation in the High North.

When the North comes together, things happen! Per Atle Bakkevoll and Anne Torill Nordsletta, both employees at the Norwegian Centre for E-health Research in Tromsø, are part of a new Norwegian–Finnish–Alaskan collaboration on AI, eHealth, and Indigenous perspectives, supported by the Norwegian Barents Secretariat. Photo: Jarl-Stian Olsen.

“There is strong interest in artificial intelligence in health services, including in the North. At the same time, we lack knowledge about how such solutions can be developed and how they actually work in Indigenous contexts -along with the challenges and opportunities involved,” says Anne Torill Nordsletta, Head of Department at the Norwegian Centre for E-health Research.

Collaboration across the Arctic

The project is led by the Norwegian Centre for E-health Research in partnership with the University of Oulu and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

The goal is to strengthen connections between professional communities and health stakeholders across the Arctic, and to establish a stronger knowledge base for the future development of health services in northern regions.

Building networks

“Through the project, we will map existing knowledge, but also be clear about what we do not know. Identifying knowledge gaps is essential for setting the right priorities going forward -both in research and in service development,” says project manager Siri Bjørvig.

A key part of the work is to build and further develop networks between actors in Norway, Finland, and Alaska, with the aim of enabling continued collaboration after the project ends.

Better, more targeted solutions

“Arctic regions face many of the same challenges. By connecting communities that already have experience with Indigenous health and digital solutions, we can learn from one another and develop better, more targeted solutions over time,” Bjørvig says.

The project will be carried out in 2026 and is funded by the Norwegian Barents Secretariat with close to NOK 500,000, in addition to in-kind contributions from the project partners.