Attendance at the Submarine Data Cables Conference

The North Pole Fiber Project was presented at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) in Berlin on 2 July 2024.

Earlier this summer, the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) in Berlin arranged the conference “Submarine Data Cables – Strengthening the Lifelines of the Digital World”. The invited speakers and panels touched on the following topics: future EU initiatives, regulatory framework challenges, and maritime security, relating to submarine cable infrastructure.

Representing the Swedish Research Council, Dr. Lisa Olsson, Senior Project Manager of the North Pole Fiber, attended the conference as one of the invited speakers.

In the presentation Polar Connect – Creating resilience for digital communication between Europe and East Asia, Lisa introduced the North Pole Fiber project as a part of Polar Connect. She conveyed the importance of Polar Connect for the strategic digital autonomy of the European Union and its strategic partners.

The Submarine Data Cables – Strengthening the Lifelines of the Digital World conference attracted EU member state representatives, telecommunication providers, cable layers, content providers, researchers, and security experts. It had over a hundred registered participants from business, science, and political sectors.

Dr. Lisa Olsson, Senior Project Manager of the North Pole Fiber at The Submarine Data Cables 2024.

Per Nihlén

Organisation: Sunet, Swedish Research Council
Title: Chair of the Polar Connect Advisory Board and Chief Technology Officer and Inventory

Per is the Chair of the Polar Connect Advisory Board . He serves as Head of Unit at  the Swedish Research Council, where he leads the development and operation of Sweden’s national infrastructure for research and education in networking and digital communication. With over three decades of experience in digital infrastructure and public-sector innovation, Per leadership has been instrumental in advancing high-capacity networks that support research collaboration, data-intensive science, and education across the Nordic region. Per is also Chair of the Board of the Foundation for the Development of Telematics, a grant-making foundation that supports the advancement of high-performance digital infrastructure in Sweden. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Netnod, representing the foundation as owner and contributing to the governance of Sweden’s critical internet infrastructure. Per has been a trusted advisor to government agencies, research institutions, and international collaborations.

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