European Polar Board

European Polar Board The European Polar Board (EPB) is an independent organisation focused on major strategic priorities

The European Polar Board welcomes the announcement that the International Coordination Office for the Fifth Internationa...
12/08/2026

The European Polar Board welcomes the announcement that the International Coordination Office for the Fifth International Polar Year (IPY-5) will be established in Tromsø, Norway.

The establishment of the Office is an important step towards IPY-5 in 2032–33: a major international effort to address the profound changes taking place in the polar regions and their consequences for the wider Earth system and society.

The ICO will be hosted by an international consortium of four institutions spanning three continents: The Arctic University of Norway (UiT), the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), and the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH).

For the European polar community, IPY-5 provides an opportunity to bring together knowledge, observations and expertise across disciplines and national borders, and to strengthen the connection between polar research, policy and action.

As a member of the IPY-5 Planning Group, the European Polar Board is pleased to contribute to this process and to ensure that European polar research and expertise form a strong part of this global initiative.

We look forward to working with the new International Coordination Office and partners worldwide in the years ahead.

Read more here: https://www.europeanpolarboard.org/news/european-polar-board-welcomes-troms-as-home-of-ipy-5-coordination-office-/

We are pleased to be part of SYNCHRONY, a new EU-funded project coordinated by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), bri...
31/07/2026

We are pleased to be part of SYNCHRONY, a new EU-funded project coordinated by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), bringing together 27 international partners to strengthen observations of the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.

SYNCHRONY will help advance coordinated polar observations and provide the scientific knowledge needed to better understand and respond to rapid environmental change in the Southern Ocean. The project will also contribute to Antarctica InSync through coordinated Southern Ocean observations and improved data sharing.

The European Polar Board and AWI will co-lead the project's work on bridging Antarctic science with society, policy and decision-making. SYNCHRONY will also support the implementation of the European Polar Coordination Office (EPCO) Work Plan.

🔗 Read more: https://www.europeanpolarboard.org/news/european-polar-board-joins-new-eu-project-synchrony-to-strengthen-southern-ocean-observations-and-international-cooperation/

📢 Antarctica InSync Science Plan PublishedThe Antarctica InSync initiative has published its Science Plan, outlining the...
15/07/2026

📢 Antarctica InSync Science Plan Published

The Antarctica InSync initiative has published its Science Plan, outlining the scientific priorities and coordination framework for a major international effort to advance multidisciplinary observations across Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

As an endorsed programme of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), Antarctica InSync brings together researchers, observing systems, and infrastructures from around the world to improve our understanding of rapid environmental change and its global consequences.

The European Polar Board is pleased to see strong engagement from the European polar community, with several representatives from EPB Member organisations contributing to the initiative through different roles.

We are also proud that EPB Executive Secretary Maria Grigoratou is among the co-authors of the Antarctica InSync Policy White Paper, helping to strengthen connections between Antarctic science, policy, and society.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this important milestone for international polar cooperation and preparations towards the 5th International Polar Year IPY-5 (2032–2033).

Antarctica InSync Science Plan: https://scar.org/science/excom/insync/science-plan

Antarctica InSync Policy Paper: https://scar.org/science/excom/insync/policy

🌊 The European Polar Board has submitted its contribution to the European Commission's Call for Evidence on the future O...
13/07/2026

🌊 The European Polar Board has submitted its contribution to the European Commission's Call for Evidence on the future Ocean Research & Innovation Strategy.

Our key message: One Ocean. Two Poles. One Shared Future.

The EPB calls for:
🔹 Polar Regions & Ocean Governance: recognise Antarctica, the Southern Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean as a strategic pillar of Europe's Ocean R&I Strategy, linked with European Seas.
🔹 Observations & Data: support sustained, interdisciplinary observing systems across the ocean, cryosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.
🔹 Research Infrastructures & Access: strengthen European research infrastructures, transnational access programmes, and long-term coordination mechanisms such as the European Polar Coordination Office.
🔹 Innovation: harness polar research as a driver of technological innovation, climate adaptation, and informed ocean decision-making.
🔹 International Cooperation: build on Europe's strong experience of polar cooperation, collaboration and science-policy engagement to support effective ocean governance.
🔹 Ocean-Climate-Biodiversity Nexus: recognise the critical role of polar regions and oceans in regulating climate, ocean circulation, biodiversity, and sea-level rise.

We encourage the European Commission to engage with the polar research community throughout the development and implementation of an ambitious, internationally connected, and future-oriented Ocean Research & Innovation Strategy that recognises the indispensable role of the polar regions in Europe's ocean future.

Read the full contribution: https://www.europeanpolarboard.org/news/epb-contribution-to-the-european-ocean-research-and-innovation-strategy-/

On 8–9 June 2026, representatives of the European Polar Board (EPB) met with officials from the European External Action...
26/06/2026

On 8–9 June 2026, representatives of the European Polar Board (EPB) met with officials from the European External Action Service (EEAS), DG Research & Innovation (DG RTD), and DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) in Brussels.

EPB Chair Prof. Peter Sköld, Executive Secretary Dr. Maria Grigoratou, and Executive Committee Member Dragomir Mateev discussed the future of European polar research in the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034), Framework Programme 10 (FP10), the upcoming EU Arctic Policy update, the European Ocean Pact and OceanEye.

The meetings included:
James Morrison, Director for Healthy Planet, DG Research & Innovation (DG RTD); Larisa Lorinczi, Policy Officer, DG RTD; and Lorna Schrefler, Economic and Policy Analyst, DG RTD.

Kestutis Sadauskas, Deputy Director-General, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE); Vassilis Dokalis, Legal and International Relations Officer, DG MARE; and Anna Popova, Seconded National Expert and International Relations Officer, DG MARE.

Morten A. Østerø, Policy Officer for Arctic Affairs, European External Action Service (EEAS), and S. Sorvali, EEAS.

Read more: https://www.europeanpolarboard.org/news/epb-meets-with-european-commission-and-eaas-representatives-to-discuss-the-future-of-polar-research-in-europe/

The European Polar Board announces recent updates to its Member Representatives. After many years of dedicated service a...
19/05/2026

The European Polar Board announces recent updates to its Member Representatives. After many years of dedicated service as representative of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Professor Gonçalo Vieira has concluded his term at the EPB. We warmly thanks Professor Vieira for his valuable contributions, commitment, and longstanding service to the EPB and the European polar research community.

We welcome Associate Professor Catarina Magalhães as FCT’s new representative.

Catarina Magalhães, PhD, is Principal Researcher at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), where she coordinates the Global Changes and Ecosystems thematic line and leads the Microbiome Ecology and Biogeochemistry research team. She is also Associate Professor at the University of Porto and serves on the executive committee of the Department of Biology.

Dr Magalhães is a member of the coordination committee of the Portuguese Polar Program and currently serves as the Portuguese delegate to the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) Marine Working Group. Since 2010, she has been actively involved in international polar research programmes and multidisciplinary Arctic expeditions contributing to the understanding of climate change impacts on microbial communities and biogeochemical processes, as well as to long-term Arctic Ocean monitoring initiatives.

We look forward to working with Dr. Magalhães and to continuing our strong collaboration with the Portuguese polar research community.

The European Polar Board held its Spring Plenary on 14–15 April 2026 in Cambridge, UK, at the British Antarctic Survey h...
17/04/2026

The European Polar Board held its Spring Plenary on 14–15 April 2026 in Cambridge, UK, at the British Antarctic Survey headquarters. Members from across Europe’s polar research community came together to discuss EPB’s strategy, organisational development, and preparations for the Fifth International Polar Year (IPY-5, 2032–2033). The meeting also marked the first EPB Plenary attended by the Norwegian Polar Institute as a new member organisation.

Alongside the plenary, participants visited BAS facilities and the Scott Polar Research Institute’s Polar Museum. The museum also hosted the EPB Executive Committee meeting and a joint exchange with the SCAR Executive Committee, where shared priorities and future cooperation were discussed.

Thank you to the UKRI/NERC representatives to EPB Prof Dame Jane Francis, Henry Burgess, and all colleagues at the British Antarctic Survey involved in hosting a productive and inspiring gathering.

https://www.europeanpolarboard.org/news/european-polar-board-held-spring-plenary-at-british-antarctic-survey-cambridge/

The European Polar Board has released its 2025 Activity Report, marking a milestone year of transition, reflection, and ...
06/04/2026

The European Polar Board has released its 2025 Activity Report, marking a milestone year of transition, reflection, and renewed strategic direction.

Celebrating 30 years of EPB, the report highlights key developments, including the relocation of the Secretariat to Umeå and the integration of the European Polar Coordination Office, strengthening coordination across the European polar research community.

“As we mark thirty years of the European Polar Board, we are reminded that coordination has always been at the heart of our mission, but its meaning has evolved. Today, coordination is not only about connecting activities across countries and institutions; it is about ensuring that European polar science speaks with clarity, relevance, and impact in a rapidly changing world”, Prof. Peter Sköld, EPB Chair

From contributions to FP10 discussions to engagement in international initiatives such as the 5th International Polar Year and the UN Decade of Actions for Cryospheric Sciences, EPB continues to strengthen Europe’s polar research voice.

Read the full report: https://www.europeanpolarboard.org/news/a-year-at-epb-2025-activity-report-published/

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