03 Sep 2024
EC announces creation of European Polar Coordination Office
The European Commission's Directorate General for Research and Innovation has announced that a new European Polar Coordination Office (EPCO) will be set up as of 2025. EPCO was developed within the Horizon 2020-funded EU-PolarNet 2 project, and will be based in Umeå, Sweden, from 2025 to 2029. It will be managed by the European Polar Board (EPB).
EPCO will serve as the central point for the Commission and other policy and decision makers to reach out to the European polar science community. The office will build on the results of the two successful EU PolarNet projects. It will also continue to coordinate the EU Polar Cluster, a large group of EU-funded projects on polar science, to promote synergies and optimise EU investments in this field.
EPCO will represent the EU polar projects and researchers working in the polar regions, enabling the Commission and other policy and decision makers to gain expert input for their decision-making processes on scientific polar issues, opportunities, priorities, and challenges.
Additionally, EU-PolarNet 2 has created a Catalyst Platform for the polar science community to interact, network, communicate and collaborate. EPCO’s work plan also includes the management of this platform, ensuring that it is regularly updated, promoted and maintained.
This initiative is also relevant to the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030, which includes an Atlantic-Arctic lighthouse.
For more information:
EU-PolarNet – coordinating and co-designing the European Research Area