The Norwegian Polar Institute

The Institute also serves as professional advisor for the Directorate for Nature Management, the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority, the Directorate for Cultural Heritage and the Governor on Svalbard. The Institute is responsible for the follow-up and implementation of Norwegian environmental legislation in the Antarctic.

The Institute plays a key role in the Fram Centre and is an active participant in the development and implementation of research cooperation at the centre. The Institute participates in international polar research fora and is responsible for scientific programmes as an independent research institution. It serves as an international contact on polar issues and channels information between Norwegian and international research institutions.

The role and functions of the Norwegian Polar Institute are based on the combined expertise it has developed in the field of polar environmental research, mapping and logistics. The Institute´s professional expertise and activities relate to biodiversity, climate and environmentally hazardous substances in the northern and polar regions.

The main strategies to achieve the objectives are to:

• obtain and disseminate knowledge as a basis for active and preventive environmental protection efforts in northern and polar regions
• provide access to its collection of polar history and its library for studies of Norwegian and international polar history, among others for external researchers
• topographic and geological mapping of Svalbard, Jan Mayen and Norwegian land areas in the Antarctic, in addition to the production of geophysical maps
• through its logistics resources, the Institute shall organize its own field of activities and offer joint services to Norwegian polar researchers
• In addition, the Institute shall help to ensure that both national and international research projects on Svalbard promote the national interests of the archipelago.

Web page: http://www.npolar.no/en/