On 18 March in Bern, the Swiss Polar Institute marked its 10th Anniversary by outlining its priorities for 2026–2035, highlighting the importance of polar research for the Alps, and announcing two new SPI Flagship Initiative projects and the CASCADES Expedition.
Organised in collaboration with the Intergroupe parlementaire “Régions polaires”, the event brought together over 100 participants, including members of the Swiss and international diplomatic corps, the Swiss scientific community, and partner institutions.
“Global science for local impact”
All contributions highlighted Switzerland’s excellence in polar and high-altitude research, as well as the importance of coordinated science and international cooperation to better understand climate change on global and local scales. The event was also the opportunity to present SPI’s commitment to Swiss polar and high-altitude science for the next decade, and to announce the CASCADES Expedition, as well as ARKTIS and DOMINO, two new SPI Flagship Initiative projects.
We would like to warmly thank all the speakers and contributors: the President and Vice-President of the SPI Foundation Board, Prof. Frédéric Herman (UNIL) and Prof. Ambrogio Fasoli (EPFL); State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation Dr Martina Hirayama; Ambassador Alexandra Baumann, Head of the Prosperity and Sustainability Division at the FDFA; Director of the British Antarctic Survey Prof. Dame Jane Francis; National Councillors and Co-Presidents of the Intergroupe parlementaire Anna Giacometti and Christophe Clivaz; as well as Prof. Hubertus Fischer (UniBE) and Prof. Samuel Jaccard (UNIL), members of our Scientific and Technology Advisory Board.
We also extend our sincere thanks to the Francophonie Service of the FDFA for their support in organising the event, as well as to all participants and partners for their presence.
Photos: © 2026 Swiss Polar Institute CC BY-NC-ND 4.0