PRESS RELEASE: Going Beyond Arctic PASSION.

We are happy to announce that Women of the Arctic (WoA) are working with the newly launched Beyond Arctic PASSION project!

As the Arctic undergoes rapid and unprecedented change, more than 40 organisations from 16 countries in Europe, North America and Asia are joining forces through the new EU Horizon Europe project Beyond Arctic PASSION to improve how the region is observed, understood and monitored. The €8.5 million initiative brings together scientists, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, local community representatives, and operational services to make Arctic observations and information more accessible, relevant and equitable for those who depend on them.

Michael Karcher, co-lead of Beyond Arctic PASSION, said: “The need for improved Arctic observations has never been greater. As the Arctic warms nearly four times faster than the global average, reliable observations and trusted information are essential for understanding change and ensuring that communities, policymakers, academia and industry have the knowledge they need to respond.”

Jeremy Wilkinson, co-lead of Beyond Arctic PASSION, added: “No single organisation or country can meet this challenge alone. By bringing together scientific expertise, Indigenous Knowledge and local knowledge from across the Arctic and elsewhere, Beyond Arctic PASSION will help create a more coordinated, trusted, accessible and equitable observing system that supports decision-making, adaptation and sustainable development.”

For decades, scientists, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and governments have worked to build a more coordinated Arctic Observing System that connects people, knowledge and technology. Yet the Arctic continues to change faster than our ability to observe it. Observations remain fragmented across nations, observing infrastructures, data systems and knowledge systems, limiting our ability to address the complex environmental and societal challenges facing the region.

Beyond Arctic PASSION is a major European and international contribution to this effort. Bringing together partners from across Europe, North America and Asia, the project connects observations from satellites, research vessels and automated monitoring systems with Indigenous-led and community-based observing programmes. By strengthening coordination between these activities, the project will help create a more trusted and accessible source of Arctic knowledge for communities, scientists, decision-makers and industry.

The project’s strength lies in its diversity. Indigenous Peoples’ organisations work alongside universities, national research institutes, operational data services, local and regional authorities. This breadth of expertise and perspective is fundamental to delivering a genuinely coordinated and inclusive Arctic Observing System and ensuring that knowledge is developed in partnership with those who live and work in the Arctic.

Through improved coordination, data sharing and co-production of knowledge, Beyond Arctic PASSION will help ensure that Arctic information is easier to discover, easier to access and better aligned with user needs. The project’s legacy will be a stronger and more equitable Arctic Observing System of Systems, delivering trusted and actionable knowledge long after the project concludes.

Beyond Arctic PASSION will officially launch on 1 September 2026 and will run for four years.

Key Facts: Beyond Arctic PASSION

Beyond Arctic PASSION builds on the foundations laid by Arctic PASSION, INTAROS, and other flagship Arctic observing initiatives — bringing their achievements together into one sustained, inclusive, and operational Arctic Observing System.

• €8.5 million EU contribution

• 48-month duration

• 40+ partner organisations

• 16 countries across Europe, North America and Asia

• 6 Arctic States represented

• 3 Indigenous Peoples’ organisations

• One shared Arctic Observing System of Systems

Project Coordination

Beyond Arctic PASSION is coordinated by the British Antarctic Survey.

The project is jointly led by:

• Dr Michael Karcher, Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany)

• Dr Jeremy Wilkinson, British Antarctic Survey (United Kingdom)

The Consortium includes:

European coordination bodies: European Polar Board, SIOS Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System, INTERACT – International Network For Terrestrial Research And Monitoring (INPA)

Arctic Council Working Group: Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme Secretariat (AMAP)

Indigenous Peoples’ organisations: Saami Council, Inuit Circumpolar Council-Greenland, Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada

Early Career organisation: Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)

Local and regional governance: Arctic Mayors’ Forum

Gender and inclusion: Women of the Arctic

Science for policy: Joint Research Centre

Science communication: GRID-Arendal

Private science sector: O.A.SYS – Ocean Atmosphere Systems GmbH

Data & Copernicus integration: Mercator Ocean, PANGAEA (AWI), Seascape Belgium

Canadian Institutes: Arctic Institute of North America, University of Ottawa, Carleton University

European Institutes: Denmark: Danish Meteorological Institute, Aarhus University; Finland: Finnish Meteorological Institute, University of Helsinki, University of Lapland; France: French National Centre for Scientific Research; Germany: Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI); Greenland: Greenland Institute of Natural Resources; Italy: National Research Council of Italy, National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics; Norway: UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norwegian Polar Institute, Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Nansen Center, Institute of Marine Research; Poland: Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences; UK: British Antarctic Survey, The Alan Turing Institute

Japanese Institutes: National Institute of Polar Research, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

South Korean Institutes: Korea Polar Research Institute

USA Institutes: University of Washington, University of Colorado, University System of Maryland, University of Alaska Fairbanks