The National Polar Conference is an important opportunity to bring people together, enabling the entire scientific community to exchange ideas and collaborate on a major issue today: the environmental and climatic changes taking place in the Arctic and Antarctic, which affect the regulation of the global climate. This is the point emphasised by Andrea Lenzi, President of Italy’s National Research Council, who also stresses that the highest priority in this process is to invest in data and make them interoperable, shareable and accessible
This is the view of Anna Maria Bernini, Minister of University and Research, who highlights the vital role of an event like the National Polar Conference. It serves as a forum for dialogue and exchange among disciplines, agencies, institutions, and researchers, while also providing an opportunity to plan future activities and advance the country's research in this area
This point is underscored by Francesco Petracchini, Director of the Department of Earth System Science and Environmental Technologies. He highlights the significant role played in this field by the CNR and his own department, which carries out a wide range of activities—from defining protocols and collecting data to managing infrastructure
Giuliana Panieri, Director of the CNR Institute of Polar Sciences, highlights the importance of research in the Arctic, the Antarctic, and the Third Pole, not only to understand what is happening in those areas but also to grasp how the climate system will evolve. She also emphasizes the need for international collaboration, particularly in preparation for the International Polar Year 2032-2033
This multidisciplinary event aims to strengthen dialogue among the scientific institutions in Italy dedicated to polar research. It also seeks to bridge the gap between research conducted in the Arctic and the Antarctic and to foster multidisciplinary exchange, thereby enhancing Italy’s contribution to understanding the changes affecting these regions—and, by extension, the entire Planet
The Arctic is undergoing profound environmental changes. Rising temperatures, retreating sea ice and glaciers, and transformations in ecosystems are increasingly visible across the region. Understanding these changes requires more than short-term measurements: it calls for long-term observations, shared research infrastructures and international cooperation, as explained by Camilla Brekke, Director of the Norwegian Polar Institute
Antarctica is not a continent isolated from the rest of the planet: its ice, the waters of the Southern Ocean and its ecosystems play a decisive role in regulating the global climate. Gary Wilson, President of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, outlines the scientific priorities for the coming years and the path towards the 5th International Polar Year, scheduled for 2032–2033
The first National Polar Conference, taking place in Rome at the CNR headquarters from 5 to 7 October, aims to strengthen dialogue between the scientific community, institutions and society on the role of polar science and the need for greater international cooperation. Such dialogue is increasingly necessary at a time marked by the climate crisis, growing geopolitical tensions and declining trust in science. We discussed these issues with Salvatore Aricò, CEO of the International Science Council (ISC) and one of the speakers at the conference
Forty years after the launch of the Italian National Antarctic Research Programme, Silvano Onofri, President of the National Scientific Commission for Antarctica (CSNA), discusses how Italian expeditions have changed, the role of the CNR and the new frontiers of polar research
Stefano Nativi, Scientific Attaché at the Permanent Representation of Italy to the European Union, highlights how the environmental characteristics of these regions make them ideal settings for integrating diverse observations, models, data infrastructures and digital twins, transforming information into interoperable knowledge that can be used for forecasting and decision support
For decades, Italy has contributed to scientific research in the Arctic through its national Arctic Research Programme. Some of Italy’s activities in the region are also funded by European Union projects. International Arctic research focuses on three main areas: understanding what drives the pace of climate change, identifying threats to biodiversity, and studying how changes in the Arctic Ocean affect the region’s marine environment and maritime activities. We discussed these issues with Ambassador Agostino Pinna, Special Envoy for the Arctic at Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) since 2024, and a speaker at the First National Polar Conference
The consumption of these foods—characterized by very low temperatures that aid preservation—is becoming increasingly widespread due to how quickly they can be prepared. However, to ensure they do not become harmful to our health, they must be stored and prepared correctly, as explained by Concetta Montagnese of the CNR’s Institute of Food Sciences
Ester Cecere, formerly a researcher at the Cnr Water Research Institute, explains the characteristics that distinguish marine animals capable of living in the frigid Antarctic waters, where the temperature is below freezing
There are places where the eye loses itself in the dazzling light of ice and snow: quiet, seemingly motionless landscapes where life is far from easy or assured. Some provide the backdrop to the story told by director Iñárritu in The Revenant; others have, over the years, become important centres for scientific research at remote latitudes. Antarctica is one such place, as Angelo Domesi of the Italian National Research Council’s Department of Earth System Science and Environmental Technologies explains
In 1926, the airship Norge flew over the North Pole, opening a new chapter in the history of Arctic exploration. That journey is the starting point for “100 Years over the North Pole” (CNR Edizioni), a story spanning a century of adventures and discoveries. Photographs and documents take readers from the exploits of the pioneers to the work of scientists, including Italian researchers. Amid melting ice and shifting geopolitical balances, a fragile region emerges, one whose fate concerns us all. Once a frontier to be conquered, the Arctic thus becomes a place to understand and protect through research and international cooperation
From the Conference
This section provides access to the video of the 2026 National Polar Conference, produced by CNR Web TV, and to the Special Feature published on the CNR website. The conference hosted a series of discussion panels that contributed to the development of the final White Paper. Additional materials are available in the Poster Gallery on the Conference website.