FIS makes its first visit to UiT ahead of the World Championships

Les artikkelen på norsk her.

“We have a very important opportunity, here,” says Susanna Sieff when discussing the collaboration with UiT The Arctic University of Norway ahead of the Alpine World Championships in 2029.

Sieff, the Sustainability Director at The Interntational Ski Federation (FIS), was part of the FIS delegation that visited Narvik this week.

The delegation inspected the ski facilities, the spectator areas, the city centre, and UiT’s campus in Narvik, which will serve as the press centre for thousands of journalists from around the world during the championship.

The press centre is part of the collaboration agreement between UiT and the 2029 Alpine World Championships. The agreement also includes several other projects aimed at contributing with research and innovation, with the goal of making the 2029 championships the most sustainable winter sports event ever.

Thinking outside the box

During their visit to UiT, Susanna Sieff and Marit Gjerland, acting organizational manager of the Norwegian Ski Federation, were given an overview of the projects UiT can contribute to the World Championships.

For Sieff, as Sustainability Director, it is crucial to minimize the event’s footprint as much as possible. She believes that UiT’s collaboration in research, education and innovation will play a significant role in achieving this goal.

“You have the younger generation involved, you have clever minds involved, and you can really think outside the box,» says Sieff.

to women smiling to the camera — Sustainability Director Susanna Sieff from FIS and Acting Organization Manager Marit Gjerland from the Norwegian Ski Federation visited UiT. They believe that the collaboration with UiT is important for creating added value from the World Championship to be held in Narvik in 2029. Foto: Vilde Øines Nybakken / UiT

She emphasizes that it’s not just about organizing a successful sports event in 2029.

“It’s important to think about sustainability, innovation, new generations’ education. So I think it is a win-win situation for the community and the university, but also for the Local Organization Committee and the sport side,” says Sieff.

UiT helps unlocking the added value of the World championships

Marit Gjerland from The Norwegian Ski Federation highlights the importance of extracting the added value from an event like the Alpine World Championships. This is where UiT comes in as a natural partner. As has been emphasized on several occasions: the World Championships should be more than just a two-week skiing festival. The strong academic environment at UiT is an asset in achieving this.

“We want to leave a legacy. In terms of sports, yes, in terms of tourism, yes, but also in many other areas. This is where the university has stepped up and been proactive in developing this added-value plan, ensuring that the World Championships, which certainly comes at a cost, deliver the pest possible results in many areas beyond just sports,” says Gjerland.

She has been working with the 2029 World Championships for the last eight years through the Ski Federation and finds it incredible to have reached this point.

“I have great faith in Narvik. It is incredibly exotic to be here, and sometimes I get dizzy just thinking about the opportunity we’ve been given and what we’ve been able to showcase. There is so much to offer here,” says Gjerland.

a group of people inspecting an auditorium — The FIS delegation, among other things, viewed one of the largest auditoriums at UiT Narvik. Foto: Vilde Øines Nybakken / UiT

Gjerland points out that it is now crucial to have sufficient resources to extract the added value that will make the event a success.

“We don’t just want an okay event. We want a success. That is where all these packages surrounding the technical aspects of the event make the difference,” says Gjerland, referring to the research and innovation projects in UiT’s contribution to the championships.

She describes the projects as both concrete and practical.

“What I particularly like about what we have seen today—and what I’ve seen before—is that it’s very concrete, and it’s a plan that, in terms of innovation, aims to deliver fairly quick results," says Gjerland.

She also reminds us that the World Championships are only four years away. This means the timeline cannot be too long if Narvik is to benefit from it.

"At the same time, it’s in the nature of research that we don’t entirely know what results we’ll get, and it will take time. But here, we’re working with a bit more urgency, and that is a good thing," says Gjerland.

Seizing the opportunity

Jørn Eldby, the coordinator for UiT’s collaboration with the 2029 Alpine World Championships, welcomed Susanna Sieff and Marit Gjerland on Wednesday, as well as the FIS delegation of about 20 people who inspected the campus the following day for its use as a press centre.

“For the university, it’s very exciting to engage with winter sports and contribute with expertise, education and research,” says Eldby.

He highlights what he believes the academic environment at UiT in Narvik excels at:

“We are very applied in our approach to research and development.”

Now, Eldby believes it is crucial to seize the opportunity that comes with collaborating with FIS, The Norwegian Ski Federation and the ski resort Narvikfjellet to identify projects that build expertise.

“Both in the short term, to deliver some clear results, as Gjerland mentions, but also in the long term: to build research expertise and develop new courses.”

A man is talking to a group of people in a cafeteria — Jørn Eldby answered several questions from the FIS delegation as he showed them around the campus. “For the university, it’s very exciting to engage with winter sports and contribute with expertise, education and research,” says Eldby. Foto: Vilde Øines Nybakken / UiT

The AI tool ChatUiT GPT-4o has been used in the translation of this text from Norwegian.

Nybakken, Vilde Øines vilde.o.nybakken@uit.no Kommunikasjonsrådgivar

Published: 11.04.25 14:06 Updated: 11.04.25 14:25

About UiT Sustainability