In August and September 2026, the Polar Connect 2026 expedition will take place aboard the Swedish icebreaker Oden, marking another important step in the long-term effort to establish a secure, resilient and high-capacity digital connection between Europe, North America and East Asia through the Arctic.
Building on the work carried out during the 2025 expedition, Polar Connect 2026 will collect critical data to support the planning of a future submarine fibre-optic cable across the Arctic Ocean. By investigating potential cable routes, the expedition will provide valuable knowledge for developing alternative, resilient digital infrastructure that complements today’s heavily utilised global data routes.
Seabed surveys for future Arctic connectivity
The expedition will focus on seabed mapping and environmental data collection in the central Arctic Ocean. Activities include multibeam bathymetric mapping, geophysical surveys and oceanographic measurements to support cable route planning and improve understanding of the Arctic marine environment.
These investigations build on the seabed surveys conducted during the Canada-Sweden Arctic Ocean 2025 expedition and represent another important milestone in assessing the technical feasibility of an Arctic fibre route.
In parallel, Polar Connect continues to explore how future fibre-optic infrastructure can support oceanographic, climate and geophysical observations through advanced sensing technologies and continuous data collection. Such capabilities could enable long-term environmental monitoring and scientific observations in remote areas of the Arctic Ocean that are otherwise difficult to access.
Collaboration across science and infrastructure
Beyond scientific and technical survey work, the expedition provides a platform for knowledge exchange and international collaboration. Researchers, infrastructure specialists and operational experts will come together aboard Oden to discuss the technical, scientific and strategic aspects of Arctic connectivity.
The expedition brings together expertise in Arctic operations, seabed investigations, digital infrastructure, data management and environmental research, supporting Polar Connect’s ambition to develop an Arctic route that serves both global connectivity and scientific discovery.
Arctic expertise
The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat provides Arctic operational expertise and access to the research icebreaker Oden, enabling field operations in one of the world’s most challenging environments. Their decades of experience in polar expeditions and access to unique research infrastructure play an important role in supporting the practical investigations carried out as part of Polar Connect.
Quick facts
24 July – 10 August 2026
Area: Central Arctic Ocean
Vessel: Swedish icebreaker Oden
Objective: Seabed mapping, data collection and cable route studies for future Arctic fibre-optic infrastructure
Funding: Co-funded by the European Union through CEF Digital
Expedition Coordinator: Ulf Jonsell, Swedish Polar Research Secretariat
Partners: the Swedish Research Council/Sunet, NORDUnet, DTU, Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, DeiC and Global Connect
