POLARFORSKNINGSSEKRETARIATET

Their core work

The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat (Polarforskningssekretariatet) is Sweden's national agency for coordinating and supporting polar research logistics and infrastructure. They provide researchers with access to Arctic and Antarctic field stations, icebreaker vessels, and monitoring networks. Their core function is enabling science in extreme polar environments — managing transnational access programs, coordinating pan-Arctic station networks, and bridging polar research with European policy needs. They also contribute to Earth observation networks and environmental monitoring across Arctic ecosystems including forests, alpine areas, and lakes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2017), the Secretariat focused on building foundational polar networks: connecting research stations across the Arctic (INTERACT), facilitating dialogue between polar science and society (EU-PolarNet), and linking into European Earth observation systems (ERA-PLANET). From 2018 onward, their work shifted toward heavier infrastructure — securing icebreaker access (ARICE, their largest project by far), advancing integrated monitoring technologies, and scaling up education and outreach alongside continued pan-Arctic coordination (INTERACT II, EU-PolarNet 2). The trajectory shows a move from network-building and coordination toward operating and sharing large-scale research infrastructure.

Moving toward managing shared access to heavy Arctic infrastructure (icebreakers, integrated station networks), making them increasingly valuable as a gateway for researchers needing physical access to polar environments.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which reflects their role as a national support agency rather than a research-driving institution. They operate in large consortia (148 unique partners across 29 countries), indicating they are deeply embedded in the European polar research community rather than working in isolated clusters. Their repeated participation in continuation projects (INTERACT I→II, EU-PolarNet→2) shows they are a reliable, long-term partner that consortia want to keep involved.

Exceptionally well-connected for their size: 148 unique consortium partners across 29 countries from just 6 projects, reflecting the large pan-European nature of polar research infrastructure networks. Their reach spans from Scandinavia across all of Europe and into non-EU Arctic nations.

What sets them apart

As Sweden's dedicated polar research secretariat, they hold a unique national mandate — they are not a university lab competing for polar funding, but the institutional backbone that makes Swedish polar research possible. Their combination of terrestrial station access (via INTERACT) and marine icebreaker coordination (via ARICE) means they can support research across the full spectrum of polar environments. For any consortium needing legitimate, government-backed Arctic access in a Nordic country, they are a natural and credible partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ARICE
  Their largest project by far (EUR 1M, 65% of total funding), developing a European strategy for shared icebreaker access — a uniquely expensive and scarce research asset.
• INTERACT
  Participated in both phases (2016–2021 and 2020–2024), showing sustained commitment to the pan-Arctic terrestrial research station network spanning forests, alpine, and lake ecosystems.
• EU-PolarNet 2
  Continuation of the flagship European polar coordination project, positioning them at the intersection of polar science and EU policy development.