For the first time since its creation, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation delivered its "climate change" award to Alain Hubert, founding president of the International Polar Foundation (IPF), for his clairvoyance and commitment towards climate change-related issues.
We just lived a historical moment here in Brussels, as we received a phone call from Utsteinen base camp. Alain Hubert phoned to say that the last exterior module was mounted on the Station this afternoon.
Schoolchildren from the Hoogstraten primary school, located near Antwerp, designed and sewed a flag especially dedicated to the new Belgian Station in Antarctica.
The C-shaped wooden side beams have now all been mounted. Next step involves tackling the exterior metal panels, as soon as the weather permits to do so.
BELARE 2007-2008: The Team Earns a Sleep In for Fast Progress
The building team spent just 5 days building the station's floor. That's roughly 500 m² of pine wood resting upon the metal struts. This rigid progress puts the building team a few days ahead of schedule! Progress has been such that the building team earned a day's rest over the week-end.
The building team spent just 5 days building the station's floor. That's roughly 500 m² of pine wood resting upon the metal struts. This rigid progress puts the building team a few days ahead of schedule! Progress has been such that the building team earned a day's rest over the week-end.
It is snowing lightly, the sky is overcast, but the sun still pierces through the clouds. A fresh breeze rises now and then upon the Utsteinen ridge, cooling any extremity that has not been covered. It is -12°C, but who knows what the wind chill is.
Building on site continues, no matter what the weather is like. When one activity slows down, another one picks up speed. There are always more than 20 people working up on the ridge and round abouts, and 6 who are out on a traverse between Utsteinen and Crown Bay. More than half the containers are now in Utsteinen.
Since the metal struts have been mounted on the Utsteinen ridge, work on the station has been advancing fast. Neither the weather nor the hard physical work has slowed the workmen down.
Back in January, the International Polar Foundation teamed up with the SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education at the University of Colorado Boulder to co-host “Live from Antarctica 2.0” direct from the Princess Elisabeth Station. The entire recording of the event is now available to watch online.
“22nd Century” Polar Research Station Will Be Focus of First Antarctic Futures Symposium in Luxembourg
The International Polar Foundation (IPF), the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), and the House of Sustainability at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce will convene the first Antarctic Futures Symposium on April 23rd - 24th, 2026 at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce. It will mark a significant milestone in the development of the IPF’s next ambitious flagship initiative: the establishment of the Andromeda Earth Observatory in East Antarctica.
Now that the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica has been closed for the season and the remaining members of the BELARE team have arrived in Cape Town, the 2025-26 season has officially come to an end.
The time has come to focus on preparing the Princess Elisabeth for winter mode to make sure the station is able to run autonomously until the team returns in November. Departure is scheduled for Thursday, February 12th.
With the scientists and several crew members having returned home, the attention of the remaining thirteen team members at the station turns to the many tasks they must complete before the end of the season. The next couple of weeks will be packed!
After one month in Antarctica collecting samples and data at the Princess Elisabeth and in the field, the scientists who came to the station this season will be departing on the next flight along with several members of the crew.
