The Norwegian Polar Institute

The Norwegian Polar Institute is Norway's central institution for research, environmental monitoring and mapping of the polar regions. The Institute is the Norwegian authorities' consultant and supplier of knowledge, and contributes to the best possible administration of Norwegian polar areas.

Through active participation in national and international bodies, the Polar Institute is central when it comes to protecting national interests in matters of research and the environment. Approximately 110 persons are employed at the Institute in Tromsø, Svalbard and Dronning Maud Land. 

The Norwegian Polar Institute has roots back to 1906 when the first scientific expedition to Svalbard took place. The Institute is a continuation of Norges Svalbard- og Ishavsundersøkelser (Norway’s Svalbard and Arctic Ocean Research Survey) which was established in 1928 and had as its aim the charting of sea and land areas and geological research in the Arctic.

The geographical scope was extended to include Norway’s claims in the Antarctic in 1948. The area of research was expanded and the name changed to Norwegian Polar Institute. The Institute is since 1979 a directorate under the auspices of the Ministry of the Environment.

The Institute’s activities are concentrated on environmental management needs at both poles. Global climate, long-range transported pollution, the effect of pollutants on the environment, biodiversity and topographical mapping of the regions are all important tasks, as is environmental collaboration in the Barents Region.

The Institute equips and organizes expeditions to both poles, and runs the Norwegian research stations in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, and in Dronning Maud Land in Antarctica.