Like an icebreaker – SPI paves way for CH polar research in Sion | Polarjournal
Past, present and future: The pilgrimage church of Nôtre-Dame de Valère and the ruins of Tourbillon (center) tower above Sion, while in front the future stands with an “Energypolis” building and in the background the glacier and snow-covered mountains of the Valais rise into the sky: The view from the SPI is leading the way. Image: Dr Michael Wenger

Polar research is moving up the scientific and political agenda in many countries, including Switzerland, which has been actively conducting polar research for over 110 years. In the process, researchers in this country also have to deal with numerous obstacles, almost like navigating through the pack ice in the Arctic or Antarctic polar seas. And what usually is done by icebreakers there, is the responsibility of the Swiss Polar Institute, which has now received a new “ship’s bridge” for this purpose.

From the top floor of a former industrial building, one has a magnificent view of the surrounding Valais mountains, glaciers, snow, and ice. The perfect setting for an institution dealing with research in the polar regions and the high mountains, the Swiss Polar Institute. Since the beginning of December, the SPI now has its premises here on the EPFL Campus Valais, close to the main train station of Sion, the capital of Valais. The offices and meeting rooms are located in the ALPOLE building, dedicated to alpine and polar environment research. From here, SPI will in the future coordinate, support and promote the framework for Swiss polar research and support scientists in their efforts to expand our understanding of the Earth’s cryosphere.

With the move to Sion, the SPI shows how much this institution has grown since its founding in 2016 and the importance it now holds. Whether in the political, economic or scientific arena, when it comes to Swiss polar and high-mountain research, SPI is involved. But not with their own research, such as the Alfred Wegener Institute AWI or the British Antarctic Survey, which include entire research teams.

Rather, it is about networking and coordination: seemingly untiringly, Executive Director Danièle Rod, Scientific Director Professor Gabriela Schaepman-Strub and their team are committed to ensuring that Swiss research groups can carry out their work in the Arctic, the Antarctic or in the high alpine areas of the world with the best possible support and the best possible framework conditions.

Whether it is funding opportunities, cooperation with authorities and other institutions, practical aspects such as safety training and logistics for field work, or education for school classes, the team provides the support, connects, coordinates, informs and finances. And it does so very successfully.

Internationally, the Swiss Polar Institute enjoys an excellent reputation. Collaborations and memoranda of understanding for cooperation range from Australia and Japan to Canada and Greenland, and include research in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Domestically, the number of participants in the traditional Swiss Polar Day increases every year and now stands at several hundred from all branches of research. Public awareness is also increasing every year, not least at schools thanks to the Swiss Polar Class. And politically, the SPI has also gained weight thanks to its rank as a “research institution of national importance”, underlining Switzerland’s policy of scientific diplomacy in the polar regions.

With such a wide range of collaborations and as a coordination center for Swiss polar and high mountain research, it seems only too logical that the SPI should also move into its new premises in an appropriate location. This is because the building is part of “Energypolis”, a new and so far unique campus in Sion, where an interface between research, business and society is being created. Here, in areas such as energy, technology, health and also the environment, everything from the idea to basic research to successful commercial implementation should be represented. This is intended to achieve excellence and create synergies that can meet the formidable challenges facing the world. These include, above all, those in the Arctic and Antarctic, for which it is best to have a powerful icebreaker with a suitable ship’s bridge from which there is a perfect view of everything… including the mountains of Valais.

Dr Michael Wenger, PolarJournal

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