The Arctic Gateway

The EU Polar Cluster is a network of Horizon 2020 and 7^th Framework Programme funded Arctic projects.

These projects address a broad spectrum of research and coordination activities: the most up-to-date findings on permafrost and sea ice, enhancing observation to improve predictions, networking of research stations, coordinating access to icebreakers, building scenarios to help local communities adapting to the changing Arctic and more. Bringing together the insights from various areas of expertise, the Cluster provides one entry point to the EU-funded Arctic/polar research.

It aims at providing policy-relevant information and supporting the EU in implementing its integrated policy for the Arctic by fostering international cooperation, reporting on the impacts of climate change on the Arctic's fragile environment and promoting sustainable development of the region in cooperation with policy makers, indigenous peoples and local communities, business and NGO representatives as well as other societal actors.

Currently it involves 11 projects:

• APPLICATE
• ARCSAR
• ARICE
• BLUE-ACTION
• EU-PolarNet
• ICE-AR
• iCUPE
• INTAROS
• INTERACT
• KEPLER
• NUNATARYUK

With the recent approval of new Horizon 2020 projects with an Arctic/polar component and additional funding projects under the ongoing Horizon 2020 call on the cryosphere, the Arctic cluster will broaden its scope to include also the Antarctica, to become a “Polar” cluster, ensuring a bigger impact of around 20 EU-funded projects from the beginning of 2020.

EU Polar Cluster

Introduction of the EU Arctic Cluster