In the summer of 2026, researchers will travel to Bear Island (Bjørnøya) in the Barents Sea to investigate fossils and sedimentary rocks from a time when life on land underwent major changes. The expedition is led by researchers from the Swedish Museum of Natural History and carried out with operational support from the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat.
When the icebreaker Oden departs for the Arctic during the Canada–Sweden Arctic Ocean 2026 expedition, upper secondary school teacher Henrik Swärd will be on board as a participant in the expedition’s Teacher Program. For him, the expedition is not only an opportunity to experience research up close, but also to bring knowledge and experiences back to the classroom.
The government has presented a new strategy for a peaceful, secure and sustainable Arctic. The strategy highlights polar research as a strategic resource for Sweden, with significance for knowledge generation, international cooperation and Swedish presence in the polar regions.
The public report from the international Arctic tabletop exercise CORE25-A has now been published. During the exercise, which was conducted in Stockholm in November 2025, the Secretariat participated together with authorities, researchers and international actors to discuss resilience, maritime infrastructure and cooperation in the Arctic.
Author and playwright Andreas Norman has been selected for the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat’s Artist Program during the Canada–Sweden Arctic Ocean 2026 expedition aboard the icebreaker Oden. In his writing, Andreas moves between documentary material and fiction, often focusing on individuals navigating contemporary power structures and closed environments.
Planning for the 5th International Polar Year (IPY-5), scheduled for 2032–33, is now underway internationally. The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat has received a governmental mandate to initiate the Swedish planning process during 2026.
Are you planning to conduct research at sea in 2027? Researchers at Swedish universities and research organisations can now apply for funding for ship time aboard several of Sweden’s research vessels: KBV 181, Electra, Svea, Ocean Surveyor and Skagerak. Submit your application by 12 June 2026.
It has been one year since Researchdata.se was launched as Sweden's national research data portal. The portal, run by the Swedish National Data Service (SND), aims to make research data from various scientific subject areas more visible and accessible for searching, sharing, and reuse.
IceCube is a giant neutrino telescope located deep in the glacial ice near Amundsen–Scott Base at the South Pole. Now, 15 years after the facility was completed, a comprehensive upgrade is underway during the Antarctic summer of 2025/26. Sweden is contributing, among other things, with cables and the development of new equipment, and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat has supported the work through logistical support and personnel on site at the South Pole.
One of the most serious impacts of climate change is global sea level rise. When glaciers and ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica melt, sea levels rise. To calculate how sea levels may develop in the future, researchers need better knowledge of the rate at which ice mass is being reduced – especially in East Antarctica, where large knowledge gaps persist due to its inaccessible location.
How much snow falls over Antarctica – and where it ends up – may sound like a detail. But for researchers trying to understand future sea levels, it is a crucial piece of the puzzle. During the iQ2300 2025/26 expedition, fieldwork is being carried out in Dronning Maud Land, where data is being collected to improve climate and ice models and thus provide a better basis for long-term societal planning.
Between 2025 and 2030, several expeditions to Antarctica will be carried out in which researchers will investigate how the East Antarctic Ice Sheet may contribute to sea-level rise, and how warmer oceans affect melting and ecosystems. The investment will strengthen knowledge about the impacts of climate change in Antarctica and globally.
Two new datasets from the Canada–Sweden Arctic Ocean 2025 research expedition with icebreaker Oden have now been published and are freely available to researchers and other users. The material adds to the growing collection of open data made available by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat from Oden.
The Swedish National Space Agency has decided to grant funding to ten projects under the Climate and Environment 2025 call to strengthen the Swedish public sector's use of satellite data in work related to climate and environmental challenges.
Västra Götaland Region (VGR) is now making two significant investments that will strengthen the development of the Kristineberg Marine Research Station ahead of the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat’s takeover of responsibility on 1 January 2026. These investments provide strong support for the modernisation and expansion of Kristineberg’s operations.
