University of the Faroe Islands Joins New Arctic Infrastructure Project CATALIS
The University of the Faroe Islands is a partner in CATALIS (Cross-program Adoption and Transfer of Arctic Low-carbon Ice-resilient Solutions), a new Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) project that brings together research institutions from five countries to help make Arctic and North Atlantic infrastructure more durable, sustainable, and climate resilient.
As infrastructure investments increase across the Arctic and North Atlantic regions—including ports, coastal roads, bridges, and offshore wind facilities—there is a growing need for construction materials and technologies that can withstand harsh environmental conditions while reducing carbon emissions. CATALIS aims to ensure that proven research results are transferred into practical solutions that can be used by engineers, planners, public authorities, and infrastructure owners across the region.
The project builds on the achievements of two previous Interreg projects, Ar2CorD and OFFwind. These projects developed and tested innovative low-carbon concrete mixes capable of withstanding Arctic freeze-thaw conditions, as well as protective coatings and technologies that reduce icing and corrosion on offshore structures. CATALIS will synthesise these findings, demonstrate them under real Arctic conditions, and make the knowledge more accessible to practitioners and decision-makers.
The consortium consists of seven research institutions from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. Together, the partners combine expertise in concrete technology, materials science, ice-structure interaction, offshore infrastructure, durability testing, and stakeholder engagement.
Leading stakeholder engagement and long-term collaboration
Within the project, the University of the Faroe Islands leads Work Package 3, which focuses on stakeholder engagement, knowledge transfer, and long-term cooperation. The university is responsible for coordinating the Transnational Arctic Durability Network, conducting stakeholder interviews across partner regions, developing a joint roadmap for future collaboration, and organising the project's final public event.
A key objective of CATALIS is to establish a lasting network that continues beyond the project's lifetime, connecting researchers, public authorities, industry representatives, and infrastructure owners across the Northern Periphery and Arctic region.
Strengthening sustainable development in Arctic and North Atlantic regions
By helping to transfer research into practical applications, CATALIS supports the development of infrastructure that is both more resilient to Arctic and North Atlantic conditions and less carbon intensive. The project contributes to wider regional efforts to adapt infrastructure to climate change while supporting sustainable economic development across remote and coastal communities.
CATALIS runs for 12 months and is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, which supports cooperation between remote and sparsely populated regions across northern Europe and the Arctic.
Project partners: Luleå University of Technology (Sweden), UiT The Arctic University of Norway (Norway), SINTEF Narvik (Norway), Novia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Tampere University (Finland), the University of Iceland, and the University of the Faroe Islands.
For more information about the project, visit the CATALIS project website HERE
