GERMANY · RESEARCH & POLICY
Germany in the Arctic: Research, Responsibility and Strategic Change
Germany’s influence in the Arctic rests on scientific expertise, international cooperation and dependable partnerships. Its challenge is to connect those strengths with a changing security environment.
Germany has no Arctic coastline. Yet the far north matters to the country as part of the global climate system, a setting for international cooperation and a component of Europe’s security environment. German Arctic policy therefore brings together several responsibilities: understanding environmental change, strengthening shared rules and working responsibly with the people who live in the region.
01 · GERMANY IN THE ARCTIC
Research as the foundation
The MOSAiC expedition offers a prominent example of Germany’s contribution. Led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, the research icebreaker Polarstern drifted with the sea ice through the Arctic Ocean in 2019 and 2020. Researchers studied interactions between the atmosphere, ice, ocean and ecosystems across an annual cycle. The expedition also demonstrated how deeply German polar research depends on international cooperation.[1]
Long-term observations are less spectacular but equally important. At the joint French–German AWIPEV research base in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, scientists investigate subjects including the atmosphere, permafrost and marine ecosystems. Established in 2003, the shared base represents a commitment whose scientific value grows through continuity.[2]
02 · GERMANY IN THE ARCTIC
Turning knowledge into policy
Scientific findings do not automatically answer policy questions. Institutions are needed to explain the evidence and connect researchers with decision-makers. The German Arctic Office at the Alfred Wegener Institute works at this interface. It connects participants from science, government and business, while providing scientific advice to the German government on Arctic affairs.[3]
Germany has been an Arctic Council Observer since 1998. This status enables contributions to cooperation without placing Germany on the same decision-making footing as the eight member states. German experts participate in scientific working groups and projects, including environmental monitoring and biodiversity work. Influence in this setting comes from the quality of practical contributions.[4][5]
03 · GERMANY IN THE ARCTIC
Security and cooperation under changed conditions
Germany’s Arctic policy guidelines, adopted on 18 September 2024, give security a more prominent place. They combine stronger engagement through NATO and the EU with support for the rules-based international order, climate and environmental protection, and responsible research. Sustainable development and the rights of Indigenous Peoples are also explicit priorities.[6]
Russia’s war against Ukraine fundamentally changed the conditions for cooperation. The guidelines record that Germany suspended research cooperation with Russia on 25 February 2022. This illustrates how closely Arctic scientific relationships are connected to the wider European security order.[7]
04 · GERMANY IN THE ARCTIC
Partnerships with Arctic communities
The AWI-coordinated SQUEEZE project provides a practical example of responsible cooperation. It examines the protection of threatened tundra landscapes. In August 2025, research interviews with Gwich’in Elders and land users took place in western Canada. Indigenous expertise is intended to help develop the project’s “TundraConservation” planning tool.[8]
Long-term relationships and the joint production of knowledge were also central to the 27th Arctic Dialogue in Potsdam in April 2026. The discussion highlighted the need for these partnerships to shape how research is planned, funded and conducted.[9]
05 · ANALYSIS
Credibility requires continuity
These examples suggest a standard against which Germany’s future engagement can be assessed: credibility requires continuity. Research infrastructure and political participation become more meaningful when they sustain dependable partnerships and produce demonstrable benefits. Germany’s particular strength could lie in bringing scientific quality, a clear approach to security and meaningful participation by Arctic communities into a lasting relationship.
DOCUMENTATION
Sources & further reading
Analysis based on the sources below. Research checked on 4 November 2026. The final section offers the author’s assessment.
- AWI · MOSAiC
- AWI · AWIPEV
- Deutsches Arktisbüro · German Arctic Office
- Arctic Council · Germany
- Deutsches Arktisbüro · Arktischer Rat
- Deutsches Arktisbüro · Deutsche Arktisstrategie (2024)
- Bundesregierung · Leitlinien deutscher Arktispolitik (2024), S. 33 / p. 33
- Deutsches Arktisbüro · SQUEEZE
- Deutsches Arktisbüro · 27. Arktisdialog (14 April 2026)
Image credits
- Evgenii Salganik · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hannes Grobe · CC BY-SA 2.5
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut / Stefan Hendricks · CC BY-SA 4.0
Documentary archive photographs from Wikimedia Commons. The original licences are retained. Images may be resized or cropped for previews; adaptations remain available under the respective licence. The photographs do not depict the SQUEEZE project or the 2026 Arctic Dialogue.