NEWS On 6 November in Kiruna, the Swedish Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic was established. This collaborative organisation between Luleå University of Technology, Umeå University, and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat will coordinate national and international activities that strengthen Swedish research and education related to the polar regions.
Keith Larson, Arctic Centre, Umeå University; Dag Avango, Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic., Luleå University of Technology; Katarina Gårdfeldt, Swedish Polar Researech Secretariat
ImageStaffan Westerlund“There are researchers at Swedish universities who are world leaders in polar research. Today, these competencies are scattered in different research environments. The Swedish Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic will be a hub that brings together Swedish research expertise in various projects and activities. We will now reach out to other universities with polar research in Sweden and invite them to join us,” says Katarina Gårdfeldt, Director of the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat.
Climate change is occurring up to four times faster in the polar regions than in the rest of the world. Polar regions matter globally as melting ice and thawing permafrost impact regions far from the poles. Global demand for raw materials is increasing, not least those needed to enable the green transition. Many of these are found in the Arctic, and the demand for raw materials reinforces conflicts of interest over land use, which often have deep historical roots. At the same time, a new security paradigm has emerged in the geostrategically important Arctic as a result of the military build-up following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and states challenging established institutions for the region.
We want to help ensure that Swedish polar research reaches out and is utilised in international and national collaborations.
The challenges posed by these global change processes have created a need for multi- and interdisciplinary research. Therefore, it is in Sweden's interest to strengthen its presence and research efforts in the polar regions. In response to this need, Sweden's two northernmost universities, Luleå University of Technology and Umeå University, are joining forces by collaborating in the joint organisation Swedish Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic.
The third partner in the collaboration is the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, the authority responsible for the research infrastructure on the icebreaker Oden (owned and operated by the Swedish Maritime Administration), the Abisko Scientific Research Station and the Wasa and Svea research stations in Antarctica. The Secretariat is responsible for planning and implementing expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic.
Research, education, and outreach is our university’s mission. The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat's mission includes planning plans and carrying out research expeditions, being responsible for infrastructure and providing expertise in international contexts. Working together within a typical organisation with complementary strengths can more easily coordinate and create synergies that strengthen Swedish polar research. For example, the Swedish Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic aim to play an essential central role in preparing for the Swedish chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2027–29 and the International Polar Year 2032–33.
“We want to help ensure that Swedish polar research reaches out and is utilised in international and national collaborations. We can also help initiate and support research efforts relating to major global challenges. The Centre can serve as a lever to help researchers get funding for their projects”, says Dag Avango, the director of the Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic at Luleå University of Technology.
The Swedish Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic aims to engage stakeholders and the public to increase knowledge about the polar regions. Annually, the Centre's “Forum for the Arctic and Antarctic” will serve as a platform for dialogue with stakeholders on critical issues, such as the green transition, security and sustainability issues. The first forum, held last week, established the Centre as a regional partner. In addition to creating stakeholder-driven outcomes, the Centre's facilities at our universities and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat's research station in Abisko offer opportunities for co-creation and co-production of new knowledge with Arctic stakeholders.
“The Centre is about collaboration in the places where research can benefit society. We will co-create and apply new research with stakeholders across the Arctic, including municipalities, regions, authorities and businesses. Civil society organisations, representatives of indigenous peoples, minorities and others in local communities are key stakeholders in enabling a just green transition in the North,” says Keith Larson, Director of the Arctic Centre at Umeå University.