EU-PolarNet 2 is an EU project funded in Horizon 2020. It is composed of 25 partners representing all European Member States and Associated Countries with well-established Polar Programmes. The objective of EU PolarNet 2 is to provide a platform to co-develop strategies to advance the European polar research action and its contribution to the policy-making processes.

Five science White Papers and an Integrated European Polar Research Programme (EPRP) have been developed in EU-PolarNet 1, based on stakeholder input and societal needs. In EU-PolarNet 2, we build on these documents by discussing with stake-and rights holders which research needs are currently the highest priority. We are involving the entire European research community and gathering “bottom-up” ideas for the research prioritisation process. Through this, we want to specify the most important societally relevant topics of polar research defined in the EPRP, in the White Papers and in European polar strategies, in order to finally develop polar research actions that are coordinated and prioritised across Europe.

In this session we aim for an open discussion on this research prioritisation process. There will be short presentations to explain the framework and ample time for discussions.  

Session outline:

8:30    Opening words by the session chair Nicole Biebow, AWI

8:35     Introductory presentations

• Overview about EU-PolarNet 2 by Anneli Strobel (AWI)
• Research prioritisation in EU-PolarNet 2 by Carlo Barbante (ISP-CNR)
• Research needs from the modelling community by Thomas Jung (AWI)

9:15     Panel discussion with panelists and audience

• Carlo Barbante, Director ISP-CNR, leader or research prioritisation work package in EU-PolarNet 2
• Patti Bruns, Secretary General Arctic Mayors Forum
• Susana Hancock, ExCom representative from APECS
• Kirsi Latola, stakeholder WP lead EU-PolarNet 2
• Thomas Jung, Vice-director of AWI, representative from modeling community
• Matthew Druckenmiller, vice-president IASC and lead for the US team for the ICARP IV

9:55     Closing remarks and next steps in research prioritisation (Carlo Barbante)