Business continuity management in the Arctic mining industry

Abstract

Abstract This paper addresses how business continuity (BC) management can be utilised in the Arctic using mining companies in Greenland as an example. The increase in industrial activity in the region has fostered a demand for knowledge of how to overcome events affecting safety and value-adding critical activities. The study investigates four mining operations in Greenland which are either in production, under construction or in the planning phase, and how they identify risks of business disruption. The study focuses on answering the research question: What application is there for BC to support value-adding critical activities for mining operations in Greenland? The findings show that mining companies address uncertainties by engaging in initiatives focused on individually identified risks, building infrastructure and applying a redundancy strategy for mitigation. The paper discusses how mining companies can manage the complexity of the Arctic context and interdependencies of risk events by utilising organisational capabilities and competencies. The argument is that a BC approach improves the identification, mitigation and planning for risk and safety-related events which can potentially disrupt value chain activities.