Dear Ambassador, Chargé d'Affaires, Directors, Lieutenant Colonel, Second Lieutenant. Distinguished guests.

I am very happy being here today and being part of this celebration. Thank you, Ambassador, for this initiative and the invitation.

Norway and Italy’s shared Arctic history stretches back a long time, as this event is a testimony of.

Today, we mark 100 years of shared dedication to a region that is just getting more important in our time – the High Arctic.

This is a story shaped by an urge to discover and explore some of the most challenging areas of the planet, by rivalry and competition, but above all, by cooperation.

To meet the new challenges in the Arctic brought about by the security situation and by climate change, cooperation continues to be key.

I am pleased to see that Italy’s new Arctic policy (“Italy Arctic Policy. Italy and the Arctic: the values of cooperation in a rapidly changing region”), presented in January this year, also underscores the importance of international cooperation in the Arctic, and that scientific research and the sharing of data and resources are important priorities in the strategy.

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We can still see the remains of Amundsen and Nobile’s historic polar flight in Ny-Ålesund at Svalbard. The mooring mast of the airship «Norge» is a landmark in the local community. 

To this day, Italy is an important contributor to Arctic research and to research conducted on Svalbard, not least through its presence in Ny-Ålesund, where the Italian National Research Council via its polar institute has been present since 1997. 

Research conducted here focuses on topics that are becoming increasingly important in addressing global challenges such as the climate crisis – including climate change and its consequences for terrestrial and marine ecosystems, to mention just a few examples. These are significant contributions to the international scientific community.

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For the Norwegian government, it is a key principle that research carried out on Svalbard should be coordinated to reduce pressure on the vulnerable environment, and that infrastructure, data, and results should be shared.

I formally opened the Svalbard Research Office in Longyearbyen on the 3rd of March 2026. 

The office consists of resources from the Research Council of Norway (RCN) and the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI).

The Office shall facilitate and coordinate research cooperation in line with the Governments updated Strategy for Research and Higher Education in Svalbard, give advice and guidance to the research actors and relevant authorities. It shall also contribute to preserving the unique and vulnerable natural environment of Svalbard so that it can continue to be a natural laboratory for vital climate and environmental research. 

Currently, Svalbard represents a successful platform for high-quality Norwegian and international research.

There is considerable value in bringing together researchers from different disciplines and countries to collaborate for the purpose of generating new knowledge that is crucial for addressing global societal challenges.

Since the 1960s, Norwegian authorities have actively facilitated Norwegian and international research and environmental monitoring in Svalbard. And we will continue to do so. 

The government is committed to ensuring that this takes place within safe and predictable parameters, and that the activities do not harm the fragile nature and ecosystems at Svalbard.  

Developments in security policy also have implications for how we in Norway, and in Svalbard, cooperate with researchers and institutions from other countries and organize research activities. 

Research security and responsible international knowledge cooperation mean that open research must be balanced against security considerations at all levels of the knowledge sector.

In line with this, Norway will continue to facilitate high‑quality Norwegian and international research on Svalbard.

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The Arctic has always been a frontier.

When Roald Amundsen, Lincoln Ellsworth, Umberto Nobile and their fellow expedition members crossed the Arctic Ocean, it was covered in ice.

That ice is now melting.

13th of October last year, the Chinese container ship Istanbul Bridge arrived in Felixstowe port in England. The journey from China took just 18–20 days —less than half the usual 40–50 days it takes via the Suez Canal’s.

This is likely just the beginning of the changes we will see in the coming years, The Arctic Ocean is expected to be ice‑free in summer by 2050. An open Arctic Ocean will bring increased traffic and activity from multiple nations.

To understand the changes, both in the Arctic nature and in human activity in the Arctic, research is essential.

Norway has several world‑leading polar research communities, particularly within ocean and climate research. With the initiative Arctic Ocean 2050 (Polhavet 2050), which the Prime Minister and I launched last summer, we are taking this research a major step forward.

The Norwegian government has secured funding for Arctic Ocean 2050, allocating NOK 1 billion over ten years, and the program will begin already this year.

Arctic Ocean 2050 brings together the country’s leading polar researchers from 18 institutions. This broad, national team will cover ecosystems, climate, environment, business development, and security.

Arctic Ocean 2050 will also examine how changes in ice conditions create the basis for increased traffic and activity, with major implications for geopolitics and Norwegian security.

The consortium behind Arctic Ocean 2050 invites international cooperation, particularly with researchers from countries with shared interests and values. So far, German and British research groups have expressed interest in collaborating, but there is room for more.

The government has also decided that Norway will participate in the next International Polar Year, IPY‑5 in 2032–33, where Arctic Ocean 2050 will be an important contribution. IPY is a global effort in which multiple countries cooperate over two seasons in each polar region to generate new knowledge. Svalbard will be an important platform for research collaboration during IPY‑5.

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Dear all, today’s event is a celebration of a daring endeavor 100 years ago. It is also a celebration of research, and of the human spirit to venture into the unknown. It is a reminder that international collaboration is a prerequisite for all major breakthroughs – today as it was 100 years ago.

I will end on the same note as I started by thanking you all for making the celebration of our shared history possible.

Thank you!