The BERA Logistics and Research Centre in Svalbard has officially opened its doors!
On 23 January 2025, as part of the ongoing Polar Night Week in Longyearbyen, the official inauguration of our new BERA Centre infrastructure to support polar research on Svalbard took place. The BERA was established by seven entities associated with the Centre for Polar Studies.
It pursues its work in collaboration with partners in Poland, Norway, and worldwide. Most of all, the BERA Centre has strengthened its cooperation with the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) international consortium, whose staff support enabled us to organise such a large-scale inauguration event. Thank you for that support!
More than 100 people attended the event, and they had the opportunity to tour the facility and accompany us on this important day. Infrastructure coordinators Dariusz Ignatiuk and Katarzyna Stachniak (Manager) gave a tour around the building, talking about its current condition and plans for further development.
As part of the opening ceremony, official speeches were given by the present representatives of national and international institutions that are partners and collaborators of the BERA Centre:
Marcian Liana – Deputy Director of the National Science Centre in Poland
Heikki Lihavainen – Director of the SIOS Knowledge Centre
Jøran Moen – Director of the University Centre in Svalbard
Michał Banaszak – Vice-Rector for Digitalization and Cooperation with the Economy, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
Adam Kola – Vice-Rector for Science, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Jacek Jania – former Head of the Centre for Polar Studies and the Polar Research Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
On this day, a ceremonial ribbon was officially cut around the boards showing our BERA Centre logo and the logos of the seven partner institutions that form the BERA.
From now on, the BERA Centre will work internationally to advance polar research, especially long-term monitoring of Earth System Science, while providing logistical and organisational support for the research work, collaborating with field research stations of partner units, providing space for discussions, exchange of ideas, space for creativity and brainstorming of broad scientist concepts.
We are incredibly grateful for all the support and accurate decisions that made it possible to start the Centre’s operations. There is still a massive piece of work ahead of us. Together, we will implement further progress to benefit the integration and strengthen the polar research community.
We welcome you to watch the video review !
BERA Logistics and Research Centre on Svalbard – Opening
