Research communities
The four permanently manned research communities in Svalbard are Ny-Ålesund, Longyearbyen, Hornsund and Barentsburg. Field research takes place across the entire Svalbard archipelago. From Vesle Tavleøya in the north to Bjørnøya in the south, from Prins Karls Forland in the west to Kvitøya in the east, as well as in the surrounding waters. In 2023 alone, researchers from more than 30 different countries were listed with active projects in the Research in Svalbard (RiS) Portal. A significant share of all research projects originate in the four permanently manned research communities in Svalbard.
Ny-Ålesund Research Station is the most international research community. Kings Bay AS is the landowner, safety and logistics manager and The Norwegian Polar Institute is the station host. In cooperation they receive researchers from Asia, Europe, and North America. Researchers from 10 different countries have permanent research infrastructure in the settlement.
Longyearbyen is the administrative center of Svalbard, where you will find the Svalbard Science Center. It houses the two most prominent research institutions in Svalbard: The University Center in Svalbard (UNIS) and the Norwegian Polar Institute. Some international research institutions have offices there, and you will also find the offices of Svalbard Science Forum and SIOS in the building. The Czech Arctic Research Station is a close neighbour and has a field station in Billefjorden. The EISCAT Svalbard Radar, run by institutions from China, Finland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, is located on the outskirts of Longyearbyen.
Barentsburg, a settlement run by the Russian coal mining company Trust Arcticugol, is also a hub for Russian research in Svalbard. Several institutions affiliated with the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring in Russia (Roshydromet) run research and monitoring programs in Barentsburg.
The Polish Polar Station Hornsund established in 1957 has been in operation year-round since 1978. It is managed by the Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences based in Warsaw, Poland. The permanent staff of the station consists of 8-10 persons employed for a full year period.
Longyearbyen is the administrative center of Svalbard, where you will find the Svalbard Science Center. It houses the two most prominent research institutions in Svalbard: The University Center in Svalbard (UNIS) and the Norwegian Polar Institute. Some international research institutions have offices there, and you will also find the offices of Svalbard Science Forum and SIOS in the building. The Czech Arctic Research Station is a close neighbour and has a field station in Billefjorden. The EISCAT Svalbard Radar, run by institutions from China, Finland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, is located on the outskirts of Longyearbyen.