Meet the PCAPS SG: Reflections from Jørn Kristiansen on building stronger links between science and services in the polar regions
Jørn Kristiansen leads with a quiet conviction: that better forecasts save lives, protect environments and support sustainable development. As the Director of Development Centre For Weather Forecasting at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and one of the two PCAPS Co-chairs, leading the natural science work of PCAPS, Jørn brings decades of experience at the interface between atmospheric science, operational forecasting and user needs.
Jørn during the 2024 session of the World Meteorological Organization’s Executive Council Panel on Polar and High Mountains Observations, Research, and Services in Oslo, Norway. Photo credit: Kathrine Lindsey
I have for a long time been interested in how we can move science into services. PCAPS is about making that connection more robust, especially in regions like the Arctic, where both environmental change and informational needs are accelerating.
From Polar Prediction to PCAPS
I was so fortunate to play a role in the Polar Prediction Project (PPP), which from 2013 to 2022 laid a foundation for coordinated international efforts to improve forecasting in polar regions. With PCAPS now underway, I see an opportunity to take that work further.
Jørn (front left) in Svalbard with colleagues from MET Norway and the University Centre in Svalbard for research related to the Year of Polar Prediction endorsed project, Alertness. Photo credit: Deck officer M/S Bard
What is exciting about PCAPS is its emphasis on coupling. Coupling across Earth system components, yes, but also coupling across communities: scientists and service providers, operational centers and users, physical and social sciences.
PCAPS builds on what PPP started, but shifts the focus more explicitly toward research on service delivery and decision-making. It asks not just how we forecast, but who benefits, where the gaps are and what we need to do differently to ensure forecasts are reliable, accessible and useful.
Championing Transdisciplinary Collaboration
A scientist by training but a systems-thinker by inclination, I am particularly motivated by PCAPS’ emphasis on transdisciplinary collaboration. I am keen to ensure that PCAPS does not just produce better models but also builds relationships, trust and mutual understanding across diverse actors in the polar space.
In the Arctic and Antarctic, communities and users are often the first to experience the consequences of poor forecasts or the first to benefit when they are improved. If we are going to deliver services that truly meet their needs, we must include their input, their perspectives, and their lived experience.
As someone with a background in the natural sciences, it might seem unusual to advocate so strongly for the integration of social science. However, over time, I have seen that even the most advanced models have limited value if the information they produce is not trusted, understood or usable in real-world contexts: a forecast is not complete before it is effectively understood and applied. Therefore, interdisciplinary collaboration is not just beneficial, it is essential ensuring that models have real-world impact.
Looking Ahead to IPY-5
With a potential extension into the period of the next International Polar Year (IPY-5), PCAPS has its sights set on long-term, strategic contributions to polar science and policy. For me, this future-facing orientation is key, not only in terms of advancing environmental prediction, but also in shaping how international collaboration and support for early career professionals can rise to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing polar climate.
My vision for PCAPS is to strengthen both the scientific foundations of coupled environmental prediction in the polar regions and the pathways for translating this knowledge into operational tools and services. By fostering connections across science, operations, services and communities, and by building trust through the actionability, sustainability and fidelity of the science, PCAPS can help deliver meaningful outcomes where they matter most: supporting resilience, safety, and informed adaptation in the polar regions.
PCAPS is not just a research project. It is a platform for coordination, for building shared understanding, and for delivering services that matter, aligned with the ambitions of IPY-5 to close knowledge gaps, connect disciplines and support society through science. That is what makes PCAPS exciting and why I am proud to be a part of it, plus the fact that I have the opportunity to work closely with so many interesting and engaging colleagues from around the world!