Norway will take a leading role in preparations for the Fifth International Polar Year, with Tromsø selected to host its main International Coordination Office.

The International Coordination Office (ICO) for the Fifth International Polar Year (IPY-5) will be based in Tromsø and operated in partnership with the Republic of Korea and Chile. The office will coordinate preparations for the global initiative taking place in 2032–33, bringing together researchers, institutions and knowledge communities working across the Arctic and Antarctic.

The announcement was made in Arendal by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who emphasised the importance of broad international scientific cooperation at a time of increasing geopolitical uncertainty and polarisation. Regional offices will also be established in the Republic of Korea and Chile, creating a coordinating network spanning Europe, Asia and South America.

Rapid change in the Arctic and Antarctic has consequences far beyond the polar regions. Developments at the poles influence climate, sea levels, food and water security, biodiversity, economies and human well-being around the world. IPY-5 will bring together countries, disciplines and knowledge systems to improve understanding of these changes and their effects across the wider Earth system.

A four-institution consortium

The consortium behind the International Coordination Office brings together UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) and the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH). Together, the four institutions connect research communities from both the Arctic and Antarctic.

Norway and UiT will serve as the ICO's physical host and lead financial contributor, with the main office based in Tromsø. KOPRI and INACH will host and fund two regional offices. Although operating across three continents, the ICO is designed to function as a single coordinating body, providing consistent support, endorsement processes and engagement opportunities across all regions.

The office will be fully funded with a budget of approximately USD 10 million over nine years, beginning on 1 January 2027. It will support the IPY-5 Executive Committee and Planning Group on matters related to the International Polar Year 2032–33 and will coordinate activities before, during and beyond the initiative.

Camilla Brekke, Director of the Norwegian Polar Institute, highlighted the importance of connecting knowledge from both polar regions and of using international collaboration to make IPY-5 a unifying and inclusive platform for research and knowledge development. She also described Tromsø as a particularly strong link between the Earth's two polar regions.

The announcement was welcomed by the four international organisations guiding preparations for IPY-5: the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the International Science Council (ISC) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The four organisations jointly sponsor IPY-5 and are represented on its Executive Committee.

Indigenous leadership and early-career researchers

A central part of the ICO's mandate will be to ensure the meaningful participation and leadership of Indigenous Peoples and the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge systems throughout IPY-5. A dedicated Indigenous liaison officer will be among the consortium's first two priority appointments. The office will also promote open science and support the participation and leadership of early-career researchers.

IASC President Matthew Druckenmiller highlighted the opportunity to build on years of collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and Arctic communities and to involve them as full partners from the beginning of IPY-5.

The international structure of the office is designed to broaden participation in polar research. Through the regional office hosted by INACH, Chile will work to strengthen Latin American participation while engaging the five Antarctic gateway countries. KOPRI will support engagement in Asia and contribute to stronger links between research communities working in the Arctic and Antarctic.

The Fifth International Polar Year is expected to become one of the world's largest coordinated polar research efforts. Alongside international scientific collaboration, advances in satellite technology, autonomous observing systems and artificial intelligence are expected to contribute to the initiative. IPY-5 will also work to strengthen observing systems, scientific capacity, data and information sharing, and cooperation across borders.

More than 140 years of polar collaboration

IPY-5 builds on more than 140 years of international polar cooperation. The first International Polar Year took place in 1882–83, followed by the second in 1932–33. The International Geophysical Year of 1957–58 continued this tradition of large-scale international polar cooperation, contributing to the establishment of permanent Antarctic research stations and helping to lay the groundwork for the Antarctic Treaty. The fourth International Polar Year took place in 2007–08.

The 2007–08 International Polar Year was the largest coordinated polar research effort to date at the time, deepening scientific understanding of climate change and highlighting the role of Indigenous communities in polar science.

Preparations underway

Preparations for IPY-5 are already underway. National Committees are being formed, the first call for project endorsements is approaching, and a Planning Group of more than 36 international organisations is supporting the process. The new International Coordination Office will assume the coordination role of the interim secretariat in early 2027.

With its main office in Tromsø and regional offices in the Republic of Korea and Chile, the ICO will provide the coordination framework for a global effort connecting Arctic and Antarctic research, strengthening partnerships and scientific capacity, and creating a lasting legacy beyond 2033.

Source: IASC