ROMA, 3-4 MARZO 2026 - CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
Artico, la sfida bianca: l’Italia ospita per la prima volta il Polar Dialogue
La scienza come leva geopolitica, i dati come strumento di conoscenza e la cooperazione internazionale sono i pilastri del Forum che riunirà esperti e decisori da oltre 35 Paesi presso la sede centrale del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche a Roma.
I fili conduttori dell’edizione 2026:
- Scienza e Geopolitica: la ricerca e il monitoraggio ambientale intesi come strumenti di diplomazia, influenza e sicurezza.
- Potere dei Dati: reti satellitari, monitoraggio costante e modellistica climatica a supporto delle decisioni politiche globali.
- Sicurezza e Dinamiche di Potere: analisi approfondita dei nuovi equilibri geopolitici tra Russia, Cina e lo scacchiere occidentale.
- Diplomazia Culturale: il contributo fondamentale delle comunità indigene, la sostenibilità e la tutela delle tradizioni polari.
PARTECIPANTI E AUTORITÀ
Il Forum vedrà la partecipazione delle più autorevoli voci della ricerca polare e di rappresentanti governativi internazionali, tra cui:
- Anna Maria Bernini – Ministro dell’Università e della Ricerca
- Antonio Tajani – Ministro degli Affari Esteri
- Principe Alberto II di Monaco
- Isabella Rauti – Sottosegretario alla Difesa
- Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson – Già Presidente dell’Islanda
- Elina Valtonen – Ministro degli Affari Esteri, Finlandia
- Per-Olof Nutti – Presidente Saami Council
- Costas Kadis – Commissario Europeo
L’evento è organizzato da Arctic Circle in collaborazione con il Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca (MUR) e il Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR).
L’iniziativa si avvale del coordinamento del MAECI e del coinvolgimento dei Ministeri della Difesa e dell’Ambiente (MASE).
Italy hosted the Polar Dialogue for the first time. The most authoritative voices in polar research from around the world gathered in Rome on March 3 and 4, together with representatives of governments, institutions, businesses, indigenous communities and civil society.
Arctic Circle is the largest international dialogue and cooperation network dedicated to the Arctic. It is an open platform that brings together government representatives, organizations, businesses, the scientific community, universities, think tanks, environmental associations, indigenous communities and civil society. It represents a hub at the intersection of geopolitics, finance and Arctic business.
Founded in 2013 by former President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, together with business and media figures connected to Arctic policies, the organization aims to facilitate dialogue between governments, businesses, financial institutions, universities, indigenous communities and international organizations on the transformations of the Arctic caused by melting ice and the opening of new economic opportunities.
In just a few years, Arctic Circle has become one of the main global hubs for political and economic networking in the Arctic. Its governance remains informal but produces concrete effects on research priorities, public narratives and pre-alignments between states and businesses.
In Rome, science was the geopolitical lever, data the tool of knowledge and international cooperation the key to being protagonists in a rapidly changing world. These were the central themes of the Arctic Circle Rome Forum – Polar Dialogue, which on March 3 and 4, 2026 brought together experts and decision-makers from over 35 countries to discuss the future of the polar regions.
For the first time, Italy hosted the Arctic Circle Rome Forum – Polar Dialogue, held at the headquarters of the National Research Council (CNR).
The discussion focused on the main scientific and geopolitical challenges affecting the Arctic, the Antarctic and the Himalayan Third Pole, structured around five key themes: science, diplomacy, security, training and research.
The Forum was organized by Arctic Circle in collaboration with the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and the National Research Council (CNR), in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), and with the involvement of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security.
Themes of the 2026 Edition
Science as a Geopolitical Lever in the Polar Regions
Research, environmental monitoring and climate studies are no longer only scientific fields: they are becoming tools of diplomacy, international influence and security. Access to routes, scientific presence, standard-setting and international cooperation are reshaping global balances.
Observe, Measure, Predict: Data and Networks as Power
Monitoring networks, satellite systems, climate modelling and research infrastructures in the polar regions feed political decisions and global strategies, strengthening the role of science diplomacy.
Highlighted Sessions
Arctic Power Dynamics: Russia, China, and the Shifting Security Landscape
Analysis of new geopolitical and security balances.
Arctic Culinary Diplomacy: Nomad Indigenous FoodLab
(World Reindeer Herders; International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry; Food and Agriculture Organization; Fletcher School – Tufts University)
Indigenous traditions, sustainability and cultural diplomacy.
Copy rights Cecilia Sandroni
Sara Olsvig, International Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council,
con Jessica Veldstra, Executive Director, Aleut International Association,
e Per-Alof Nutti, President, Saami Council.
Modera H.E. Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Chair dell’Arctic Circle Polar Dialogue e Primo Ministro d’Islanda (2017–2024).
PROGRAMMA E ACCREDITI
È possibile consultare il calendario completo delle sessioni, inclusi i panel sulla Security Landscape e la Culinary Diplomacy, al seguente indirizzo:
media@arcticcircle.org entro il 2 marzo 2026.
ufficiostampa@cnr.it | Tel. 06.4993.3383