On Wednesday 9 September 2026, moored to an ice floe, the Tara Polaris I expedition started its several-month drift deliberately trapped in ice. The scientific expedition is the first of ten expeditions aboard the Tara Polar Station aiming to study the Central Arctic Ocean, a sentinel of global climate changes. […]
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We are pleased to announce that the calls for proposals for the SPI Exploratory Grants and SPI Technogrants are open! The submission deadline is 15 October 2025, 12:00 (noon, Swiss time). The SPI Exploratory Grants support Swiss-based scientists active in polar regions (including remote high-altitude regions such as the Andes and the Himalayas) by allowing them to launch […]
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PRESS RELEASE – Sion / Brest / Québec City, 6 August 2026 – Today, the CASCADES Expedition leaves Québec City to board the Canadian research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen for its first leg in Baffin Bay and along the west coast of Greenland. The international expedition federates over 50 researchers from […]
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The Mertz Fellowship – a partnership between the Embassy of Switzerland in Australia, Swissnex, Swiss Polar Institute, and the Antarctic Science Foundation – supports joint projects and scientific networking between Swiss and Australian higher education and research institutions. This programme for early-career researchers focuses on fostering cutting-edge research and strengthening […]
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Tara Polar Station departed Lorient, France, for the Arctic on 19 July. Bringing together more than 30 research institutes from 12 countries, the expedition will support a broad range of international scientific programmes, including the Swiss-led ARKTIS project. After a few technical stops, last one being in Kirkenes, Norway, Tara […]
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PolARTS offers artists from Switzerland in any discipline supported by Pro Helvetia and scientists the opportunity to collaborate on joint projects and to take part in field trips to a polar region. Launched in 2022, the programme runs on a biennial basis, creating space for new collaborative and explorative practices […]
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On 29 May 2026, the University of the Arctic (UArctic) Assembly welcomed the Swiss Polar Institute as a new member. The Assembly approved 28 new members, representing both Arctic and non-Arctic regions, bringing UArctic total membership to 226. We are pleased to be a part of this growing network of […]
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Since SPI’s inception in 2016, a community of scientists, partners, artists and audiences has grown, shaped by shared fieldwork, projects, events, networks and, ultimately, memories. To mark SPI’s 10th Anniversary, we are launching an Open Call for Memories.
We invite you to share your cherished memories of SPI to by 31 August 2026 to contribute to a collective retrospective of the past decade.
MEDIA RELEASE – Bellevue / Sion, 13 May 2026 – Following the tragic partial collapse of the Birch Glacier on the Valais village of Blatten in May 2025, Fondation Lombard Odier and the Swiss Polar Institute joined forces, engaging in a multi-year collaboration with the new “IceTools Initiative”. The project’s […]
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