10th Anniversary: Events, Highlights & Milestones

A new hub for Swiss polar science

2016

18 April: The Swiss Polar Institute is founded

The Swiss Polar Institute (SPI) was founded on 18 April 2016 by EPFL, ETH Zurich, University of Bern, and WSL with the support of private philanthropy. The mission was clear: support polar and high-altitude science in Switzerland. The press conference also announced ACE, the Antarctic Circumnavigating Expedition.

2016–2017

55 researchers from 30 countries set sail with ACE

The Antarctic Circumnavigating Expedition (ACE) took place from December 2016 to March 2017. This unprecedented expedition around Antarctica was organised by SPI and comprised 22 projects with 55 researchers from 30 countries working in a number of fields, from biology to climatology to oceanography, to improve knowledge on what the future may hold for this continent and the world.

SPI supports the acquisition of two container labs

Purchased in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, EPFL and ETH Zurich, the containers allow self-contained projects and lower risk when it comes to project implementation. The containers are at the disposal of Swiss groups who need such an infrastructure and have been deployed since in both polar and remote high-altitude regions on several occasions.

7 September: the first Swiss Polar Day organised by the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) at WSL in Birmensdorf

11–12 September, Crans-Montana (VS): SPI organises an international conference on high-altitude and high-latitude climate challenges

The "Globalizing Polar Issues" conference brought together Swiss and international experts and focused on links between local and global processes. The interdisciplinary approach enabled the promotion of academic and public awareness of climate change mechanisms that impact us all.

2018 ➤

SPI launches the Polar Access Fund for early-career researchers in partnership with BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation

Aiming to support the next generations of polar and high-altitude scientists and open to all disciplines, the Polar Access Fund enables early-career researchers affiliated with a Swiss public research institution to undertake their first field trip to a polar or remote high-altitude region.

SPI launches the SPI Exploratory Grants

The SPI Exploratory Grants are dedicated to established scientists and postdoctoral researchers and offer funding for pilot projects, and collaborations with new teams and across disciplines.

SPI joins the Forum of Arctic Research Operators (FARO), the SCAR Data Committee (SCADM) and represents Switzerland as an observer at the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP)

4 April: 2nd Swiss Polar Day organised by SPI at ETH Zurich

Looking to offer the Swiss polar and high-altitude community a space to network, the Swiss Polar Day grew to become the annual gathering of the Swiss polar science community. The following editions have been held in September every year and have included national and international keynotes, networking opportunities and updates on recent developments in polar research.

SPI supports Swiss participation in the MOSAiC Expedition organised by AWI

The goal of the MOSAiC expedition was to take the closest look ever at the Arctic as the epicentre of global warming and to gain fundamental insights that are key to better understand global climate change. Hundreds of researchers from 20 countries were involved in this exceptional endeavour.

Collaboration with the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle in Neuchâtel (CH) for the "Pôles Feu la Glace" exhibition

Pilot project for school audiences in Western Switzerland in collaboration with the sailboat ATKA

2019 ➤

SPI launches PolARTS in partnership with Pro Helvetia

As a joint initiative by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and SPI, PolARTS encourages the exchange between art and science through explorative and collaborative practices as well as transdisciplinary cooperation.

SPI launches the SPI Technogrants

The SPI Technogrants offer funding for the development and testing of technologies relevant to research in polar and remote high-altitude regions, with a specific focus on application-oriented cleantech research.

Health and Safety courses integrate SPI services

After a successful pilot and due to high demand, the Health and Safety courses in partnership with GRIMM became a regular feature in SPI's portfolio of activities.

The Greenland Circumnavigation Expedition GLACE called off

The expedition organised by SPI in collaboration with the Swiss Polar Foundation comprised 15 projects with 44 international participants and partners. It was planned to set sail on 30 July, but permitting issues brought it to a halt.

SPI publishes its first science plan

“Polar Science in Switzerland – proposed priorities for the Swiss Polar Institute (SPI) up to 2025 and beyond” identifies strengths within the Swiss polar research landscape, outlines a way forward to grow them, and proposes the development of new activities for the near future up to 2025, and beyond. It formed the basis for the SPI’s strategy and activities for its first decade.

SPI applies as an institution of “national importance” under Article 15 of the Law on Research

Dedicated funding for Field & Summer Schools is launched

In the same spirit as the Polar Access Fund, the Field & Summer Schools funding was launched to help young researchers gain specialised skills and develop their professional networks.

2020 ➤

The University of Lausanne becomes a member of SPI

The COVID pandemic halts travel and fieldwork campaigns

In March, the educational programme for primary schools, Swiss Polar Class, is officially launched

SPI's Scientific Director Konrad 'Koni' Steffen passes away in Greenland

On 8 August, Konrad 'Koni' Steffen died in an accident while conducting fieldwork at Swiss Camp in Greenland. SPI has continued building bridges between the Greenlandic and Swiss scientists and authorities, leading to several milestones of successful collaborations in the following years.

SPI becomes a partner in the EU-PolarNet 2 consortium

The EU-PolarNet 2 consortium was an EU-funded project bringing together all the European polar organisations to develop joint activities and strategies, as well as to provide support to EU science policy. The project ended in 2024.

On 11 November, SPI and the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) sign a Statement of Commitment

The signing took place remotely due to the COVID pandemic. The objectives of the agreement are to promote, strengthen and facilitate cooperation in Antarctic research, and to create synergies relating to wider fields of polar science, notably high-altitude and extreme-environment research.

SPI is granted the status of “research infrastructure of national importance” by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)

2021 ➤

The University of Zurich becomes a member of SPI

SPI becomes a private foundation

Originally hosted by the EPFL, SPI established its own legal entity in line with the requirements of its new status and became a private foundation under Swiss law.

The first call for SPI Flagship Initiatives opens

The call for SPI Flagship Initiatives, which took place from February to October, invited proposals for multi-annual programmes focused on a polar or remote high-altitude region, combining science and technology projects from different disciplines and institutions in Switzerland. The funding provides a temporary infrastructure for Swiss-led research.

In collaboration with the Greenland Research Council (NIS), SPI launches a call for interest for a new funding opportunity, the Konrad Steffen Grants

In memory of Konrad Steffen, one of the founders of the Swiss Polar Institute and its first Scientific Director, the Konrad Steffen Grants (KSG) build on his legacy of collaborative research between researchers based in Switzerland and Greenland on environmental change in Greenland. The KSG were designed to provide seed money for collaborative research on the topic of Natural Hazards in Greenland, fostering the exchange of expertise, networking, and future collaboration opportunities between Swiss and Greenlandic researchers to address some of the big challenges ahead related to natural hazards in Greenland.

First SPI Flagship Initiatives are selected: PAMIR and GreenFjord

PAMIR aimed to unravel the mechanisms behind the anomalous glacier surges in the Pamir Mountains and to disentangle the consequences of this special cryospheric situation for stream ecology, hazards and water resources. Co-led by Francesca Pellicciotti (WSL) and Martin Hölzle (University of Fribourg), this programme consisted of six diverse research clusters and two overarching modelling components.
GreenFjord, led by Julia Schmale (EPFL), aimed to create process understanding of how climate change affects a fjord ecosystem in Southern Greenland, and how perturbations propagate to biodiversity and livelihoods. Diverse datasets collected by six research clusters were used to better simulate and predict the evolution of fjord systems, including glacier mass loss, trophic evolution and carbon cycling in the face of anthropogenic climate change.
Both projects implemented ambitious science programmes from 2022 to 2026.

The Arctic Century Expedition finally sets sail

Postponed due to the COVID pandemic, the Arctic Century Expedition took place in summer 2021. It was jointly organised by SPI, the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) in Russia and the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) in Germany. This multidisciplinary venture studied remote and rarely accessible areas in the Kara and Laptev Seas, as well as on Franz Josef Land and Severnaya Zemlya in the Western Arctic. Exciting projects were carried out by an international team of researchers aiming to understand the sensitive Arctic environmental system.

2022 ➤

SPI signs a bilateral agreement with AWI

In 2022, SPI concluded a collaboration agreement with the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Germany. As well as being the major German centre for polar and marine research, AWI is also a large operator of polar and oceanographic research stations and vessels, working both in the Arctic and Antarctic.

SPI becomes a member of the European Polar Board (EPB) and represents the Swiss science community at the Arctic Data Committee (ADC)

Start of the two first Konrad Steffen Grant projects

The projects respectively initiated the collaboration between avalanche and integrated risk management professionals in Greenland and Switzerland, aiming to develop joint research proposals and to define areas for joint education of researchers, emergency responders and authorities.

SPI and Swiss skipper Oliver Heer start a three-year collaboration to carry out a data collection campaign during the training and racing phases of the Vendée Globe

This campaign federated internationally renowned Swiss research groups at ETH Zurich, the University of Bern and the University of Lausanne and brought open science practices to the fore.

PAMIR and GreenFjord initiate a series of field campaigns

Collaboration with the Musées cantonaux–Palais de Rumine in Lausanne for the "Quanga" exhibition

The first call of the Mertz Fellowship opens, in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland in Australia and the Antarctic Science Foundation

The Mertz Fellowship programme has been designed to encourage the active involvement of early-career researchers in polar and high-altitude science, and to promote synergies between Swiss and Australian higher education and research institutions through scientific networking and joint projects. Implemented in collaboration with SPI and managed by the Embassy of Switzerland in Australia, the programme receives funding from the Swissnex network, part of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

SPI relocates to Sion (VS)

Relocating to Sion in the newly established Alpine and Polar Environmental Research Centre (ALPOLE) on the EPFL Valais Wallis campus at the end of 2022 offered SPI a new space to welcome international delegations and visitors, and sparked valuable opportunities to collaborate with this vibrant research community and local and cantonal authorities.

2023 ➤

10 January: SPI signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the Japanese National Institute for Polar Research (NIPR)

The MoU represents an important step towards the development of new synergies and collaboration opportunities between the Swiss and Japanese polar and high-altitude science communities, following collaborations between various important Swiss scientific actors in the polar and high-altitude research fields (notably University of Bern, EPFL, ETH Zurich and WSL), NIPR and Japanese universities.

13 April: SPI signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institut nordique du Québec (INQ) and Université Laval (ULaval)

The signing took place in Montréal, during the scientific and economic mission of Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin to Canada. This MoU represents a substantial development towards new avenues of collaboration opportunities between the Swiss and Canadian polar and high-altitude science communities. It enables facilitated access to respective research infrastructure, as well as the exchange of personnel, data, and other resources, to the mutual benefit of all parties.

20 April: SPI signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the Greenland Research Council (NIS)

The signing took place during the second leg of the science-policy exchange between Greenland and Switzerland, held from 18 to 21 April 2023 in Greenland, with a focus on avalanche risk management. This collaboration stems from a joint initiative aiming at mutual knowledge transfer and synergies between natural hazards management professionals from both countries.

10 May: SPI signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan (NAST)

Following the acknowledgement the Tajikistan-led UN initiative declaring 2025 as the International Year of Glacier's Preservation, SPI and the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan signed an MoU in Dushanbe, setting a new milestone in the Swiss-Tajik scientific collaboration at the service of glaciers. This event paves the way to new synergies and collaboration opportunities between Tajik and Swiss early-career and senior researchers.

First training for glaciated terrain offered to Swiss researchers

In collaboration with GRIMM, the first training for glaciated terrain took place on the Moiry Glacier in Valais. The aim was to prepare the researchers for difficult terrain and ensure safe working practices in future field campaigns. This course has since been fully integrated to the portfolio of SPI services.

9 November: SPI signs a Memorandum of Understanding with French Polar Institute (IPEV)

During the “One Planet – Polar Summit” in Paris, SPI and the French Polar Institute Paul-Émile Victor signed an MoU, opening a new chapter in the partnership between France and Switzerland, two neighbouring countries that share not only a border but also the Alps and glaciers threatened by climate change.

Successful first edition of the Swiss Polar Class Festival

On 2 December in Sion, about 600 visitors braved the first snow to explore the complex beauty of the cryosphere and the polar regions through various engaging activities. Organised by Swiss Polar Class, the festival raised awareness on the importance of scientific research and polar and high-altitude regions in understanding climate change. Since then, the festival has taken place every last weekend of November and has received generous support from the Canton of Valais, the City of Sion, the Energypolis campus, EPFL Valais-Wallis, Loterie Romande, and has developed close collaborations with the Médiathèque Valais, the Ferme-Asile Arts Centre and other cultural organisations.

2024 ➤

26 February: SPI and Tara Ocean Foundation sign a Memorandum of Understanding

On 26 February 2024 in Sion (VS), SPI and Tara Ocean Foundation held a joint workshop focused on presenting the drifting scientific observatory/laboratory, Tara Polar Station, and on exploring synergies between the two organisations and their respective scientific communities. The collaborative workshop concluded with both parties formalising their agreement with an MoU.

SPI defines principles to drive its actions and reviews its grants to address sustainability in Swiss polar and high-altitude research

Following a community consultation on sustainability and polar research, SPI revised its funding instruments in 2024 with new framework conditions that aim at lowering the environmental footprint of its funded projects while maintaining scientific excellence.

New course on positive team culture integrates SPI's portfolio of services

Organised in collaboration with the Advancing Field Safety programme, an initiative created by members of ETH Zurich, the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the ADVANCEGeo Partnership, the course aims to provide essential leadership and communication tools that empower every field team member, regardless of their role, to actively contribute to fostering a positive and supportive environment during fieldwork.

SPI and AWI co-organise sessions on floating platforms and other alternative means of accessing polar regions at the Arctic Circle Assembly

Environmental impact, best practices and the importance of complementary expertise were at the heart of the exchange that gathered a rich panel of experts with a broad array of racing, sailing, and floating platforms enabling data collection with minimal environmental burden.

SPI joins the Antarctica InSync International Steering Board

This multiannual programme led by AWI will unfold from 2026 to 2032 and aims to better understand, protect and sustainably manage the Southern Ocean and Antarctica in the framework of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021–2030. As an institutional partner, SPI supports and coordinates Swiss participation.

SPI renews three partnerships for 2025–2028

2024 was a year of consolidating partnerships. BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation, Pro Helvetia, and the Swiss Data Science Center all extended their collaboration, thus ensuring the continuation of dedicated funding to early-career researchers, the art-science tandems, and state-of-the-art support in data management and data science for polar and high-altitude science.

393 classes embark on the Vendée Globe with Swiss Polar Class

The partnership with Oliver Heer Ocean Racing inspired new opportunities to develop educational content for non-specialist audiences. The new Swiss Polar Class activity "Cap au Sud/Segelrennen um die Antarktis" enabled 393 classes from 25 cantons to follow the Swiss skipper during the race and learn about Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

SPI’s national status extended by SERI for the 2025–2028 period

2025 ➤

SPI Forel Grants are launched

Managed by the Forel Heritage Association, FOREL is a 28-metre-long sailing boat with an aluminium hull dedicated to oceanographic research in polar and sub-polar regions. The SPI FOREL Grants support Swiss-based scientists who wish to use the FOREL Research Platform in such environments by allowing them to launch short-term new ideas (for example pilot projects), fund additional fieldwork or launch new collaborations with financial support for logistics.

7 July: SPI signs a Memorandum of Agreement with Antarctica New Zealand

As Swiss science relies on cooperation to access infrastructure in Antarctica, this agreement between SPI and ANZ marks a significant advancement in collaborative research on a bilateral level. It also fosters synergies in view of the upcoming international Antarctic initiatives, such as Antarctica InSync and the International Polar Year 2032.

PAMIR Project Team secures two ice cores over 100 metres long from the Kon Chukurbashi Ice Cap in Tajikistan

The first ice core, 104.7 metres long, is being analysed in Japan, providing invaluable information about past climate conditions. The second core, 105 metres long, was donated to Ice Memory Foundation to join their climate archive sanctuary in Antarctica.

2 October: SPI signs a Memorandum of Understanding with ICIMOD

Following the international workshop on glacier-related hazards and community safety held in the Bhutanese capital Thimphu, SPI and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) signed an MoU to federate forces in addressing cryosphere-related hazards.

Collaboration with Team Malizia to further the ocean data collection campaign

SPI and the Swiss skipper Oliver Heer lent their OceanPack to the new research vessel Malizia Explorer, highlighting once more how the offshore sailing and scientific communities join forces to further ocean and climate research.

Two new SPI Flagship Initiatives selected

Following the second call for proposals launched in 2025, two SPI Flagship Initiatives were selected for funding, ARKTIS and DOMINO. These Swiss-led multi-annual programmes will combine an interdisciplinary approach and cutting-edge science. They aim to investigate critical changes in the Arctic and Antarctic regions and to bring better understanding of the far-reaching implications these two regions have for the global climate.

2026 ➤

SPI presents its ambitions and priorities for the next decade

The document "Global science for local impact. Enabling excellence and action 2026-2035" was prepared in consultation with the SPI Science and Technology Advisory Board. It outlines the guidelines that will steer SPI's actions towards successful outcomes for the 2026–2035 period.

Project on glacial lake outburst floods launches the collaboration between Switzerland and Bhutan on cryosphere hazards

Following the “Cryosphere and People at Risk in Bhutan and the Hindu-Kush Himalaya Workshop” in 2025, the collaboration between Swiss and Bhutanese experts was initiated in March 2026 with a project on glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in Puna Tsang Chu basin in Bhutan.

18 April: SPI is officially 10!

16 international projects to embark on the CASCADES Expedition

A collaborative endeavour uniting scientists from Canada, France, Greenland, and Switzerland, the CASCADES Expedition is coordinated by INQ, SPI and IPEV. It is planned to depart in summer 2026 and will unite over 50 scientists from four countries to confront a critical climate challenge: the accelerating melt of Greenland’s glaciers and its far-reaching impacts on the Atlantic Ocean and climate systems worldwide.

9 September: SPI is looking forward to welcoming you to Sion

As part of its 10th anniversary celebrations in 2026, the Swiss Polar Institute will be hosting a festive evening to celebrate a decade of partnerships and innovation in polar and high-altitude research. This event will take place on 9 September, immediately following the Swiss Polar Day 2026. We hope to see you there!