The Swedish research icebreaker Oden has spent the summer surveying the central Arctic seabed for Polar Connect, an initiative to enable a fibre-optic connection between Europe, North America and East Asia through the Arctic Ocean, PolarJournal reported on 6 October 2026. According to the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, the Polar Connect 2026 expedition ran from 24 July to 10 August and mapped potential cable corridors, including challenging sections of the Gakkel Ridge.
Railotech has supported the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat on this initiative with ice management planning, seabed mapping logistics and pre-feasibility studies for a new heavy polar research icebreaker.
A fast digital connection across the Arctic
Polar Connect aims to lay a fibre-optic cable across the Arctic Ocean – it needs a new polar class icebreaker to lead the way.
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