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СпутникиРНSpaceXРоскосмосNASAViewpoint: Does Europe dare to invest in the Arctic?
Juliette
27 Aug 2026
Tore Furevik (left), chief executive of the Nansen Center. Photo credits: The Nansen Center. Camilla Kiss (right), executive vice-president at Kongsberg. Photo credits: Kongsberg
Europe stands at a crossroads. It must strengthen its technological capabilities, support industrial competitiveness and build resilience against environment, climate and security risks. These investments will not be possible everywhere at once. Some priorities must come first, and the Arctic is of high importance.Climate change is transforming the Arctic faster than any other region on Earth. According to one Nature study from 2022, temperatures in the Arctic are rising almost four times faster than the global average. These changes affect ocean circulation, ecosystems and weather patterns across Europe. From the Norwegian coastline, overlooking the European gateway to the Arctic Ocean, research institutions and ocean technology companies have long worked side by side. Together with European partners, they combine science and industry to develop, test and deploy solutions for the Arctic. We know how difficult, and how essential, it is to observe what happens in these environments.At the same time the geopolitical importance of the Arctic is growing. Maritime activity is increasing. Critical infrastructure is expanding. New economic interests are emerging in shipping, energy, fisheries and subsea resources.For Europe this means that knowledge of the Arctic is no longer only a scientific concern. It is also a matter of preparedness, security and economic and societal resilience.Understanding these changes requires infrastructure. Europe needs advanced observation systems in the Arctic Ocean. Autonomous underwater platforms and observation systems, such as the High Arctic Ocean Observing System led by the Nansen Center in cooperation with Kongsberg and many international partners, are crucial. They allow scientists to monitor the ocean beneath the ice throughout the year. These systems deliver critical data from otherwise inaccessible areas and are essential for understanding environmental and climate change, enabling safe operations in the High North, and strengthening European situational awareness in a geopolitically important region. Norway plays a key role through its geographic position and its scientific and technological expertise, making it a central contributor to Europe’s Arctic Ocean knowledge base.Satellite capabilities are equally important. Earth observation and satellite connectivity allow Europe to monitor maritime activity, track environmental changes and protect critical infrastructure across vast and remote areas. They also support maritime safety and operational awareness in a region where traditional infrastructure is limited. Europe must also continue investing in modelling and prediction systems, such as Copernicus services. Ocean and sea ice forecasting helps governments, industries and emergency services anticipate risks and respond to rapidly changing conditions. Climate prediction systems provide essential knowledge for adaptation and long-term planning.A harsh environmentAll these systems together form a research and technology infrastructure for the Arctic, but building and maintaining this infrastructure is costly. The Arctic environment is harsh. Logistics are complex. Technology must operate in extreme conditions. This is precisely why Europe and partners in the Arctic regions must act collectively.What is needed now is strategic focus. Investment in Arctic Ocean observation systems, satellite capabilities, and environmental and climate predictions, supports multiple European priorities at the same time. It strengthens research. It improves maritime safety. It enhances preparedness and situational awareness. It supports industrial innovation in ocean technology, space systems and digital infrastructure. In other words, it strengthens Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and knowledge-based decision-making.Related articlesNorway and Iceland set to join EU satellite programmesEU polar research melts into the backgroundThe coming years will require difficult decisions and trade-offs about how Europe allocates its resources. Not every desirable initiative can be funded at the same time. Policymakers will need to distinguish between what is useful and what is essential. The Arctic belongs in the second category.Europe has often shown its strength through ambitious collective investments. From space programmes to scientific collaborations, Europe succeeds when it focuses its resources on strategic projects that deliver long term value. The Ocean Pact and the newly launched OceanEye initiative have the potential to ensure European global leadership in ocean observation, and the Arctic Ocean should be a core component of this effort.Europe does not need to start from scratch. Existing systems, developed through close collaboration between research and industry, demonstrate that year-round observation under Arctic sea ice is already possible.The challenge now is to move from individual systems to sustained, European-scale holistic infrastructure. Overlooking Europe’s gateway to the Arctic, where these technologies are being developed and deployed, we see both urgency and the opportunity. The Arctic is where environment, climate, security and industrial competitiveness meet. Europe must jointly choose to invest accordingly. Tore Furevik is chief executive of the Nansen Center, an environmental research institute in Bergen, Norway. Camilla Kiss is executive vice-president at Kongsberg, a Norwegian defence and technology company.
Prioritising long-term strategic investment in the Arctic requires courage, but it is a choice Europe cannot afford to postpone
Tore Furevik (left), chief executive of the Nansen Center. Photo credits: The Nansen Center. Camilla Kiss (right), executive vice-president at Kongsberg. Photo credits: Kongsberg
Europe stands at a crossroads. It must strengthen its technological capabilities, support industrial competitiveness and build resilience against environment, climate and security risks. These investments will not be possible everywhere at once. Some priorities must come first, and the Arctic is of high importance.
Climate change is transforming the Arctic faster than any other region on Earth. According to one Nature study from 2022, temperatures in the Arctic are rising almost four times faster than the global average. These changes affect ocean circulation, ecosystems and weather patterns across Europe.
From the Norwegian coastline, overlooking the European gateway to the Arctic Ocean, research institutions and ocean technology companies have long worked side by side. Together with European partners, they combine science and industry to develop, test and deploy solutions for the Arctic. We know how difficult, and how essential, it is to observe what happens in these environments.
At the same time the geopolitical importance of the Arctic is growing. Maritime activity is increasing. Critical infrastructure is expanding. New economic interests are emerging in shipping, energy, fisheries and subsea resources.
For Europe this means that knowledge of the Arctic is no longer only a scientific concern. It is also a matter of preparedness, security and economic and societal resilience.
Understanding these changes requires infrastructure. Europe needs advanced observation systems in the Arctic Ocean. Autonomous underwater platforms and observation systems, such as the High Arctic Ocean Observing System led by the Nansen Center in cooperation with Kongsberg and many international partners, are crucial. They allow scientists to monitor the ocean beneath the ice throughout the year.
These systems deliver critical data from otherwise inaccessible areas and are essential for understanding environmental and climate change, enabling safe operations in the High North, and strengthening European situational awareness in a geopolitically important region. Norway plays a key role through its geographic position and its scientific and technological expertise, making it a central contributor to Europe’s Arctic Ocean knowledge base.
Satellite capabilities are equally important. Earth observation and satellite connectivity allow Europe to monitor maritime activity, track environmental changes and protect critical infrastructure across vast and remote areas. They also support maritime safety and operational awareness in a region where traditional infrastructure is limited.
Europe must also continue investing in modelling and prediction systems, such as Copernicus services. Ocean and sea ice forecasting helps governments, industries and emergency services anticipate risks and respond to rapidly changing conditions. Climate prediction systems provide essential knowledge for adaptation and long-term planning.
A harsh environment
All these systems together form a research and technology infrastructure for the Arctic, but building and maintaining this infrastructure is costly. The Arctic environment is harsh. Logistics are complex. Technology must operate in extreme conditions. This is precisely why Europe and partners in the Arctic regions must act collectively.
What is needed now is strategic focus. Investment in Arctic Ocean observation systems, satellite capabilities, and environmental and climate predictions, supports multiple European priorities at the same time. It strengthens research. It improves maritime safety. It enhances preparedness and situational awareness. It supports industrial innovation in ocean technology, space systems and digital infrastructure.
In other words, it strengthens Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and knowledge-based decision-making.
Related articles
The coming years will require difficult decisions and trade-offs about how Europe allocates its resources. Not every desirable initiative can be funded at the same time. Policymakers will need to distinguish between what is useful and what is essential. The Arctic belongs in the second category.
Europe has often shown its strength through ambitious collective investments. From space programmes to scientific collaborations, Europe succeeds when it focuses its resources on strategic projects that deliver long term value. The Ocean Pact and the newly launched OceanEye initiative have the potential to ensure European global leadership in ocean observation, and the Arctic Ocean should be a core component of this effort.
Europe does not need to start from scratch. Existing systems, developed through close collaboration between research and industry, demonstrate that year-round observation under Arctic sea ice is already possible.
The challenge now is to move from individual systems to sustained, European-scale holistic infrastructure.
Overlooking Europe’s gateway to the Arctic, where these technologies are being developed and deployed, we see both urgency and the opportunity. The Arctic is where environment, climate, security and industrial competitiveness meet. Europe must jointly choose to invest accordingly.
Tore Furevik is chief executive of the Nansen Center, an environmental research institute in Bergen, Norway. Camilla Kiss is executive vice-president at Kongsberg, a Norwegian defence and technology company.
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