Today’s global connectivity relies heavily on a limited number of routes exposed to congestion and disruption, increasing the need for new resilient pathways. By creating the shortest route between Europe and East Asia and strengthening the wider connectivity system between Europe, North America, and East Asia, Polar Connect adds redundancy to existing data routes and reduces dependence on today’s congested and vulnerable chokepoints. The initiative is being developed to provide trusted, high-capacity connectivity between like-minded partners while advancing a new long-term Arctic infrastructure capability. 

Polar Connect Step 2

Polar Connect Step 2 (PC2) is the next step in the global Polar Connect project to establish a resilient submarine cable system between Europe, North America, and East Asia across the Arctic, thereby reinforcing Europe’s digital sovereignty and striving towards resilient communication between continents.

The project will create an entity that will manage the future Polar Connect submarine cable and prepare its business model. Building on the Polar Connect Step 1, PC2 studies will design the submarine cable system and its cable repair capabilities in severe ice conditions, continue to survey the seabed of the Arctic with the Oden icebreaker, and complete the Cable Route Study to determine the optimal submarine cable route for manufacturing and laying the cable. These studies are crucial milestones leading up to the Marine Survey for Polar Connect, necessary for the manufacturing and deployment of the Polar Connect cable and to ensure the long-term viability of the of pan-Arctic connectivity.

Time period: The project runs for 36 months, from 2026 to 2028.

Co-funded by the European Union 

PC2 is co-funded by the European Union through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Digital) 2 programme. Within this programme, the European Commission supports initiatives that strengthen the European Union’s digital autonomy, including the development of fibre-optic connections between the EU and third countries in ways that ensure European stakeholders maintain control over the infrastructure. 

Join the Polar Connect initiative

We are actively seeking new collaborators as the project evolves. If you’re interested in joining or supporting this transformative initiative, please contact us please contact us at info@polarconnect.net. 

The project beneficiaries include the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, NORDUnet, GlobalConnect, CSC, and the Swedish Research Council. In addition, GÉANT is supporting the project as an Associated Partner.

Polar Connect Step 2 is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HaDEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Project Acronym: 24-EU-DIG-PC2