Arctic Connect R&E is a Northern European initiative to acquire a dedicated fiber pair through the Arctic, bringing substantially better connectivity to the Research, Development, Innovation (RDI), and Education sectors between Europe and Asia and North America.

Implemented on the planned Arctic Connect Subsea Cable System (ACSC), Arctic Connect R&E will be the first cable system between Europe, Asia, and North America taking this shorter route through the Arctic Ocean. Major European involvement in the ACSC project will substantially strengthen European digital sovereignty. Arctic Connect R&E will be among the first intercontinental fiber pairs in history owned and managed by the research and education communities, adding huge benefits in terms of both cost, bandwidth, latency, and resilience.

R&E sectors are facing a data explosion, which means a rapidly increasing demand for efficient data infrastructures. The global lockdowns and remote education demonstrated the significance of digital infrastructures. In addition to addressing the increased capacity need of existing intercontinental collaborations, Arctic Connect R&E will spur new innovative collaboration models and support the rapid ongoing digital transformation.

Arctic Connect R&E will be a strategic investment into fundamental digital infrastructure that will support and advance regional development of the Nordics and Northern Europe. Additionally, it will connect all of the European R&E networks and thus support European RDI & Education sectors and it will contribute to European recovery.

Read more about this unique opportunity in the attached document. You can also watch the Youtube video from the Arctic Connect Seminar with stakeholders from both the Nordic region, EC officials and representatives from a number of European countries presenting and discussing the way forward for this project.