Newsletter EU-PolarNet 1
October 2020
Last EU-PolarNet Newsletter
After 5 exciting years, EU-PolarNet came to its end in June 2020. It is therefore time for us to thank all consortium members, international cooperation partners and all those of you who contributed to the success of EU-PolarNet by participating in our workshops, conferences, and online consultations. Without this strong commitment and involvement of the polar community EU-PolarNet would have never been successful. It was a pleasure for us working with you.
Webinar “Stronger together: European Cooperation for Polar Science and Society”
On 11th of June 2020, EU-PolarNet hosted a webinar to introduce the first fully co-designed European Polar Research Programme as the main result of the EU-PolarNet project to a wide audience. The European Polar Research Programme is the outcome of a five-year process of co-designing and developing a future research agenda for Europe. It represents a bottom-up community effort, which is building on the challenges and needs raised by all who are affected by the ongoing changes in the Polar Regions. It has been designed using a truly transdisciplinary approach and it aims to bridge the knowledge gaps in and between natural and social sciences, the economy and society in the Polar Regions. Up to 300 participants attended this webinar. If you were not able to attend the webinar and want to know more about the EPRP, please follow this link.
White paper on European polar infrastructure access and interoperability, including an infrastructure implementation plan for the European Polar Research Programme
EU-PolarNet organised a two-day online workshop on 15th and 16th of April bringing together 21 polar experts from different disciplines to identify the needs for infrastructure improvements in support of the new Integrated European Polar Research Programme.
White Paper on European Polar Data Accessibility
Data management is recognised as a priority area for polar science and quality-controlled data from the Polar Regions is required to help addressing urgent global environmental issues. EU-PolarNet made recommendations on how to facilitate a coherent data management system and thus ensure quality-controlled data are made more widely available and in a timely manner. You can download the white paper here.
The EU Polar Cluster is growing
The EU Polar Cluster thus merges a broad spectrum of research and coordination activities – ranging from the most up-to-date findings on permafrost and sea ice, from enhancing observation to improving predictions, and from networking research stations to coordinating access to icebreakers. Currently the EU Polar Cluster consists of 15 EU-funded projects and SIOS and EPB as associated partners. However, soon several new EU-funded projects will join the Cluster to expand its expertise on economic developments, risk and opportunities ArcticHubs and JUSTNORTH) and Polar biodiversity (ECOTIP, CHARTER and FACE-IT). More information is available at the EU Polar Cluster website.
The future of EU-PolarNet
We just learnt that the EU-PolarNet 2 – “Coordinating and co-designing the European Polar Research Area” proposal was positively evaluated and is invited for grant agreement preparation. EU-PolarNet 2 will continue to be a coordination platform to co-develop strategies to advance European Polar Research and its contribution to the policy-making processes. The EU-PolarNet 2 consortium is even larger than in EU-PolarNet and consist of 25 partners representing all European and associated countries with Polar research programmes and activities.
Public deliverables
The MOSAiC Example: How to develop and fund a large-scale international initiative from a national bottom-up idea
This new deliverable describes how a large-scale and expensive international initiative, like the MOSAiC expedition, can be implemented and funded by an international consortium. The MOSAiC expedition serves as a best-practise example for other projects on how such international projects have to be set up and which support is needed to convert a national, bottom-up idea to an international large-scale project. Download the full version here.
Synthesis report on policy briefings
Decision-makers critically need better evidence-based information on the ongoing changes affecting the Polar Regions, and their feedbacks to global and regional processes. Informed policy advice allows them to identify and support relevant research themes, and to develop and implement effective policies in response. EU-PolarNet has enhanced a common unified European voice towards decision makers and to provide evidence-based policy advice on behalf of the European Polar research community. The project developed different types of policy advice and support to decision makers.