On 24–25 September 2025, the annual Submarine Networks World conference was held in Singapore. It is the world’s largest gathering of the global subsea communications community, serving as a platform for exchange, exploration of the latest projects, strategy development, and the formation of new partnerships to drive the industry forward.
Representing the Swedish Research Council/Sunet and NORDUnet, Sumithra Velupillai and Jonny Lundin contributed to the conference by showcasing the Nordic Polar Connect initiative. This was presented through the poster exhibition, where participants from around the world had the opportunity to learn more about the project.
In addition, the initiative was featured in the panel discussion “The Arctic Cable Maintenance Debate – Making the Seemingly Impossible, Possible?”. The session addressed the feasibility of Polar Connect and highlighted the recent Oden expedition, coordinated by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. The discussion further underlined the significant scientific value of applying sensing techniques in this largely unexplored region to enable advanced data collection.
The panel also incorporated insights from the Antarctic context and shared practical experiences related to cable maintenance in the Arctic.
