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The Polarstern is the flagship of German polar research and is among the most powerful research icebreakers worldwide. Commissioned by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), it has been operating in the polar regions for over 40 years — in the Arctic during summer and in the Antarctic during the austral summer. Its central mission is to support interdisciplinary research in the fields of climate change, oceanography, sea ice, geophysics, and biology. The Polarstern enables scientists to collect samples, conduct long-term measurements, and feed complex climate models with valuable data even under extreme conditions.
While AWI is responsible for the scientific leadership and organisation of expeditions, the Hamburg-based shipping company F. Laeisz, through its Bremerhaven branch, handles the ship’s technical and nautical operations. This includes providing the crew, maintenance and repair, as well as logistics related to equipment and supplies. Close cooperation between AWI and F. Laeisz ensures that the Polarstern is always ready for deployment — whether in dense pack ice or on the high seas. Together, they make long-term research projects such as MOSAiC or the transport of sensitive samples from the polar regions to Europe possible.
From April to May 2025, the Polarstern was prepared in its home port of Bremerhaven for its next expedition with the Alfred Wegener Institute to the Arctic. A central piece of equipment — alongside many others — is a refrigerated container on board, designated for storing temperature-sensitive food and extending the ship’s existing cold storage capacity. To ensure safe storage, the Reefer Runner system from Identec Solutions is being installed — a digital monitoring solution that measures and records, in real time, temperature, humidity, oxygen, and CO₂ concentrations inside the container.
“We are delighted to deploy our technology on one of the world’s most significant research icebreakers. On its voyages, the Polarstern places the highest demands on materials, logistics, and communication — exactly where Reefer Runner can demonstrate its strengths,” explains Jordi Asensio, Product Manager at Identec Solutions. “The crew can rely on maintaining a secure cold chain.”
With this system, not only can the functionality of the refrigerated container be ensured, but also critical environmental conditions can be detected and trend data documented — an important step in maintaining the usual standards of food safety. What is already industry standard in container ports for monitoring refrigerated containers is now being brought on board the Polarstern.
Reefer Runner is a state-of-the-art monitoring system designed for optimised and efficient management of refrigerated containers in container terminals. As a core component, it provides automated real-time visibility of every refrigerated container, regardless of brand or type. Reefer Runner is a robust, wireless device offering plug-and-play compatibility with the Navis 4 Terminal Operating System (TOS) and other systems, but can also be used standalone. With a battery life of up to 10 years and a range of key benefits — such as reducing claims, labour time, and maintenance costs — Reefer Runner is an unmatched solution for refrigerated transport monitoring, already deployed in more than 60 container terminals worldwide.
Polar research on board icebreakers has long been at the heart of humanity’s effort to understand the most remote and extreme environments on Earth. These specialised vessels, capable of breaking through thick sea ice and operating in sub-zero conditions, are uniquely suited to support long-term scientific expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic. For decades, they have provided the only reliable platforms from which international teams of scientists can carry out systematic investigations into climate, oceanography, ecosystems, and geophysics. The importance of such research has grown dramatically as the polar regions have become recognised as critical indicators of global climate change.
Icebreakers dedicated to research are floating laboratories, equipped with advanced instrumentation, laboratories, and accommodation for large groups of scientists and crew. Their missions typically last for weeks or even months, allowing continuous monitoring and data collection across vast and otherwise inaccessible areas. In the Arctic, expeditions often take place during the summer months when sea ice extent is at its minimum, yet heavy ice conditions still demand the strength of an icebreaker. In the Antarctic, the austral summer opens windows of opportunity for resupply, sampling, and long-range scientific programs. These ships not only provide access but also safety, as they are designed to withstand extreme cold, pressure from shifting ice, and prolonged isolation.
Over time, icebreaker-based polar research has expanded from national projects to highly coordinated international collaborations. Programs such as the International Polar Year and expeditions like MOSAiC — which saw the German research icebreaker Polarstern deliberately frozen into the Arctic ice to drift with the currents — exemplify how nations pool resources and expertise to tackle the complexities of polar science. These efforts address pressing questions about the dynamics of sea ice, the role of polar oceans in global circulation, the resilience of ecosystems, and the rapid transformations caused by warming temperatures. The data collected feeds into global climate models and contributes directly to policymaking and environmental protection.
Modern research icebreakers are increasingly sophisticated. Many feature remotely operated vehicles and autonomous underwater systems, enabling scientists to explore beneath the ice cover or map the seafloor. Others support atmospheric studies by launching balloons and drones to capture data about polar weather systems. Satellite connectivity allows real-time transmission of data to global partners, strengthening collaborative analysis. These ships also serve logistical functions, resupplying remote research stations with food, fuel, and equipment while transporting sensitive samples back to laboratories worldwide.
The global fleet of research icebreakers is relatively small, reflecting the immense cost of construction and operation, yet their strategic value is unmatched. Countries including Germany, the United States, Russia, China, and Sweden operate some of the most advanced vessels, and new generations are under construction with improved icebreaking capacity, lower emissions, and digitalised research infrastructure. They represent not only scientific ambition but also geopolitical presence, as the polar regions gain significance in discussions about resource management, shipping routes, and environmental stewardship.
In essence, research icebreakers are indispensable tools for unlocking the mysteries of the poles. By enabling sustained scientific presence in places otherwise unreachable, they allow humanity to observe firsthand the processes shaping the Earth’s climate system. Their voyages combine endurance, technology, and international cooperation, ensuring that the knowledge derived from the Arctic and Antarctic contributes to a deeper understanding of our planet’s future.
German and Austrian polar research missions have left a remarkable legacy in the history of scientific exploration. The fascination with the icy ends of the Earth took shape in the late nineteenth century, when both nations sought to expand their understanding of uncharted territories and the natural processes at play in the polar regions. These expeditions combined ambition, hardship, and scientific curiosity, often pushing technology and human endurance to their limits.
One of the earliest and most notable examples was the Austrian-Hungarian North Pole Expedition of 1872–1874, led by Karl Weyprecht and Julius von Payer. Their vessel, the steam-sailing ship Admiral Tegetthoff, became trapped in pack ice during the voyage. Instead of achieving their original aim of reaching the North Pole, the crew drifted with the ice and eventually discovered Franz Josef Land, a vast archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Although the ship was eventually abandoned, the expedition made crucial contributions to polar science, particularly in the understanding of sea ice dynamics and Arctic geography. Weyprecht, deeply influenced by the hardships of the voyage, later advocated for coordinated international polar research, an idea that laid the foundation for the first International Polar Year in 1882–1883.
German polar research soon followed with a series of major expeditions that relied on dedicated vessels. The German South Polar Expedition of 1901–1903, under the leadership of Erich von Drygalski, used the research vessel Gauss. The ship, designed specifically for polar conditions, became beset by ice off the coast of Antarctica for nearly a year. Despite the entrapment, Drygalski and his team carried out groundbreaking scientific work, including meteorological, magnetic, and biological studies. They charted parts of the Antarctic coastline and discovered Kaiser Wilhelm II Land. The Gauss expedition demonstrated the potential of ship-based polar science and underscored the importance of multidisciplinary approaches.
Another German highlight came with Wilhelm Filchner’s Second German Antarctic Expedition of 1911–1912 aboard the Deutschland. The mission aimed to penetrate further into the Weddell Sea and establish a land station. Like its predecessors, the ship was locked in the ice, forcing scientists to adapt their plans. Although the expedition did not achieve all of its goals, it contributed significantly to the mapping of the Weddell Sea and gathered valuable oceanographic and glaciological data.
In the decades that followed, both Germany and Austria played roles in broader international efforts, though the interwar period and the devastation of the Second World War slowed polar exploration. When German polar research resumed after the war, it once again centred on powerful vessels, culminating in the commissioning of the Polarstern in 1982. This research icebreaker became the flagship of German polar science, continuing a tradition that began with the Gauss and the Deutschland.
The Austrian legacy, while less continuous, remains anchored in the pioneering achievements of the Admiral Tegetthoff expedition and the intellectual influence of Karl Weyprecht. His call for global cooperation in polar science echoes today in large-scale international projects. Together, the Austrian and German traditions of ship-based exploration forged a path for modern polar research, illustrating how vessels became indispensable laboratories and lifelines in the frozen frontiers of the Earth.
A research icebreaker is specially designed to operate in ice-covered waters where conventional ships cannot go. It has a reinforced hull, powerful engines, and icebreaking capabilities that allow it to navigate through thick pack ice. Beyond its rugged design, it also functions as a floating laboratory, equipped with advanced research facilities, workshops, and storage space. This enables scientists to live and work on board for weeks or months during expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic.
Research icebreakers support investigations across multiple scientific fields. Oceanographers study currents, salinity, and the role of polar oceans in global circulation. Glaciologists focus on ice sheets and glaciers, while biologists examine unique ecosystems that thrive under extreme conditions. Atmospheric scientists use the ships to gather data for climate models, and geophysicists explore the structure of the seafloor. Many icebreakers also deploy autonomous underwater vehicles, submarines, or drones, extending research capabilities beneath the ice and across vast polar regions.
The polar regions act as early warning systems for climate change, with transformations there occurring faster and more dramatically than elsewhere on Earth. Research icebreakers make it possible to collect continuous, high-quality data in these remote and hostile environments, far beyond the reach of satellites or land-based stations. The insights gained feed into global climate models, improving predictions about rising sea levels, changing weather patterns, and the future of ecosystems. Without research icebreakers, our understanding of Earth’s climate system would remain incomplete.
Research icebreakers are vital platforms for advancing our understanding of the Arctic and Antarctic, providing scientists with access to some of the most extreme and fragile environments on Earth. Their missions deliver crucial data on climate, ecosystems, and ocean systems, shaping global knowledge and policy. With the integration of Reefer Runner, these vessels gain an additional layer of reliability by ensuring the secure monitoring of temperature-sensitive supplies (see also: Remote reefer monitoring system - How to integrate it?). This innovation not only safeguards food safety during long expeditions but also demonstrates how advanced digital systems can strengthen operational resilience in challenging polar conditions.
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The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) was the largest Arctic research expedition in history, running from 2019 to 2020. Centered around the German research icebreaker Polarstern, which was frozen into sea ice and drifted across the central Arctic Ocean for over a year, it enabled continuous, multidisciplinary observations of atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, ecosystems, and biogeochemistry. MOSAiC generated unprecedented data to improve climate models and understanding of rapid Arctic change. (1)
References:
(1) Rex, M., et al. (2021). The MOSAiC Expedition: A Year Drifting with the Arctic Sea Ice. Springer.
Note: This article was partly created with the assistance of artificial intelligence to support drafting.