The Svalbard Science Conference 2025, held under the theme “Svalbard as an Arctic hotspot for climate change and international cooperation,” brought together 345 participants representing 60 institutions from 15 countries. This bi-annual event, organized by the Svalbard Science Forum and the Research Council of Norway, is the only conference dedicated exclusively to research conducted in Svalbard.
The conference serves as a key platform for connecting researchers at all career stages, research managers, policymakers, and other stakeholders involved in Svalbard research. Its main goal is to strengthen interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and international collaboration in Arctic science. Throughout several days of sessions and discussions, participants explored diverse aspects of Svalbard’s natural environment, climate systems, and their global relevance.
An important highlight of this year’s edition was the art-and-science session, emphasizing how artistic expression—visual, musical, literary, or performative—can make complex scientific data more accessible and emotionally resonant. Art helps communicate the urgency and significance of climate research by evoking emotions such as fear, hope, and inspiration that numbers alone cannot convey.
The LIQUIDICE team, consisting of 13 members from IG PAS, CNR-ISP, NORCE, USil, SIOS KC, U.Oslo, actively participated in the conference. Thomas V. Schuler, from University of Oslo, had the oral presentation entitled “Svalbard’s 2024 Record Summer: A Window into Future Arctic Glacier Meltdown?”. Bartek Luks, Agata Goździk (IG PAS), Heikki Lihavainen (SIOS KC) and Andrea Spolaor (CNR-ISP) presented the poster “LIQUIDICE – SIOS success story”. LIQUIDICE was also mentioned during the panel discussion “Science-to-policy: Challenges and opportunities for Arctic science”. LIQUIDECErs were also involved in discussions on cryosphere dynamics, interdisciplinary approaches, and creative methods of science communication. Their engagement reflected the spirit of collaboration and innovation that defines the Svalbard Science Conference.
