PRESS RELEASE: The ARICE Consortium Launched Last Week, with the World Ocean Council as the Lead Partner to Ensure Industry Interaction with the Arctic Marine Research Community
WOC CEO Paul Holthus attended the kickoff meeting of the EU-funded Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium (ARICE) in Bremerhaven on 6-7 February 2018, along with Arctic research representatives from 13 countries in Europe and North America.
The ARICE Project will enable scientists to collect more data in the Arctic by: 1) Coordinating improved use of existing polar research vessels, and 2) Working through the WOC to engage commercial vessels operating in the Arctic to collect oceanic and atmospheric data.
Companies operating in the Arctic are encouraged to contact the WOC to participate in the ARICE Project.
WOC CEO, Paul Holthus, stated, “The WOC is honoured to be the ocean business community partner for the ARICE Project. We will advance research community collaboration with the industry in Arctic research and the use of ‘ships of opportunity’. WOC will work with companies from shipping, fishing, oil and gas, tourism and other sectors to host or deploy instruments, host scientists, or share data from previous studies, which is the mission of our ‘Smart Ocean-Smart Industries’ program.”
For the research community, ARICE establishes international collaboration to increase the value and efficiency of icebreakers’ time in the Arctic by coordinating the use of icebreakers for research, thereby creating more opportunities to conduct research.
The maritime business community should also be aware that the business community may also respond to the ARICE requests for research time on the consortium vessels. Training can also be offered to engineers and technicians on board the research icebreakers.
The ARICE Project is funded by the European Commission’s HORIZON 2020 Framework Programme. ARICE was launched in January 2018 and will run for 4 years. Find more information on www.europeanpolarboard.org/activities/scientific-initiatives/arice/
