Research and higher education related to sea ice, environment, climate change, and operational conditions in the Arctic Ocean focusing on the Northern Sea Route.
The Arctic Ocean has obtained increased international attention due to changing sea ice conditions facilitating the accessibility, as well as the exploitation of its natural resources (minerals, fisheries), energy (oil, gas), and new sailing routes that are creating new challenges and opportunities. Although transportation into, within and/or through the Arctic waters has been on the agenda for several decades, the Arctic is not yet an arena for large-scale international marine transportation.