INTERACT joins UK and Nordic Leaders to discuss the future of Arctic research

INTERACT Honorary President Terry Callaghan joined the UK-Nordic Arctic Research Seminar by the Ambassadors to the UK from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. The Ambassadors from Denmark and the Faroe Islands were also present. Hear from Terry as he reports back from the seminar.

The seminar was held at the Swedish Embassy in London on 4th June. It was called “State of the Arctic: New Frontiers for Innovative Research, and was a collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey.

During the first session, project presentations focused mainly on marine systems, ice, the atmosphere, and education. This was followed by two sessions: the first focused on keynote presentations relating primarily to technology and the marine system. The second session consisted of two panel discussions. The first was entitled “State of Tech in the Arctic: How are emerging technologies transforming the conditions for research?” The second was entitled “State of Research Collaboration in the Arctic: How can we forge new partnerships and pioneer new funding models?”. During this session, I introduced INTERACT, highlighting what the network has achieved and exploring opportunities for future collaboration.

After the meeting, there was a reception at the Swedish Ambassador’s Residence and there I managed to talk one-to-one with Ambassadors about INTERACT. One key contact that I talked to was Jyrki Katainen, who is the Special Adviser for EU-Arctic relations. I now intend to follow-up my contact to seek advice on how INTERACT can continue to play a leading role in Arctic terrestrial infrastructure. Other contacts were made, and hopefully this meeting will have led to greater visibility for INTERACT at high political levels.

Terry Callaghan 22 June 2026

Photo: Jennifer Kissinger