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Swiss Polar Day 2026
This year’s Swiss Polar Day will take place on 9 September in Sion. This event is the annual gathering of the Swiss polar science community and includes national and international keynotes, networking opportunities and updates on recent developments in polar research.
To register for the Swiss Polar Day, please use this link →
We have been delighted by the level of interest this year and have received a high volume of applications for the Open Forum. Due to the limited number of presentation slots, the registration form is now closed while we finalise the programme. We thank everyone for their interest and application. We will shortly be in touch with all applicants regarding the outcome of their proposal.
Practical information:
9 September 2026 | starting at 09:30
Noda BCVS
Avenue de Tourbillon 22, 1950 Sion
Entrance from Place de l’Aubade
Programme:
| 09:30–10:00 | Registration and welcome coffee |
| 10:00–10:15 | Opening and welcome Samuel Jaccard and Kelly Kenison Falkner (Co-Chairs of SPI Science and Technology Advisory Board) |
| 10:15–10:45 | Prix de Quervain – Award Ceremony Laudatio by Naki Akçar (Swiss Commission for Polar and High Altitude Research) Research highlights by laureate(s) |
| 10:45–11:15 | Open Forum, part 1 – News from the field in pitching format |
| 11:15–12:00 | Clean(er) polar science: what does it take? Keynote by Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley (British Antarctic Survey) |
| 12:00–12:10 | Why Switzerland needs a national Antarctic programme Hubertus Fischer (University of Bern) |
| 12:10–13:30 | Group photo, lunch and networking |
| 13:30–14:15 | Collaborating with Greenland in 2026: how and why? Keynote by Josephine Nymand (Pinngortitaleriffik – Greenland Institute of Natural Resources) |
| 14:15–15:00 | News from SPI programmes SPI Flagship Initiatives ARKTIS and DOMINO, High-altitude and natural hazards projects, CASCADES Expedition |
| 15:00–15:30 | Open Forum, part 2 – More pitches and news from the field |
| 15:30–16:15 | The Alps without ice: from today into the future Keynote by Matthias Huss (ETH Zurich / WSL/ University of Fribourg / GLAMOS) |
| 16:15–16:30 | Closing remarks Samuel Jaccard and Kelly Kenison Falkner (Co-Chairs of SPI Science and Technology Advisory Board) |
| 16:30 onwards | Networking drink followed by SPI’s 10th Anniversary festive event |
This year’s edition will be followed by the festive event celebrating SPI’s 10th Anniversary. You can use the links above to also register for the festive evening.
We look forward to welcoming you to Sion!
Downloads:
- Poster, web version (2Mb, pdf)
- Poster, print version (42Mb, pdf)
Poster photo: © 2025 Michael Franzke, all rights reserved