For over a hundred years, the Abisko Scientific Research Station (ANS) of the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat has collaborated with the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) to collect hydrological data in the Abisko area. This long-standing effort received international recognition in June 2024, when the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) awarded ANS and SMHI the prestigious Centennial Award for over a century of continuous, high-quality measurements.
The GEOEO North of Greenland 2024 expedition with the icebreaker Oden was a great success that exceeded the scientists' expectations. Despite extreme ice conditions, researchers successfully collected extensive data from some of the world's most inaccessible ocean areas.
A field course was held in Abisko on March 24–28 for a total of 21 participants ahead of the upcoming Antarctic expedition iQ2300. The expedition aims to study how melting ice sheets in East Antarctica may affect sea levels in the future.
Cristina Bernárdez, teacher at Gullmarsgymnasiet in Lysekil, sees the Canada-Sweden Arctic Ocean 2025 expedition as an opportunity to give students unique insights into the Arctic's sensitive ecosystem. She was selected for a teaching position aboard the icebreaker Oden, following a call from the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat in early 2025.
The Polar Year 2024 has been characterised by an increased focus on polar research, with new government missions, investments in research infrastructure, and successful expeditions in both the Arctic and Antarctic. The importance of polar research has also been clearly highlighted in this year's budget and research policy bills.
Artist Sara-Vide Ericson has been accepted for this year's expedition to the Arctic aboard the icebreaker Oden – a unique opportunity to combine artistic creation with the extreme environment of the Arctic. With an international track record and a passion for large-scale oil paintings, she has long sought the opportunity to challenge herself – both artistically and personally.
In Luleå on 22 May 2024, a symposium was held with the title: Geoengineering Symposium - Science Fiction or Possible Element for a Sustainable Environmental and Climate Future?
The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat's logistics expedition DML 24/25 has now been completed, and the technicians have returned home after working at the Swedish research station Wasa in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica.
On January 15, 2025, the Polar Research Secretariat organized a knowledge seminar on environmental forecasts for sustainable development in the Arctic at the World Trade Center in Stockholm. The seminar discussed the importance of and opportunities for observations of the environment in the central Arctic.
