The mission of GoNorth is to organize and launch a series of scientific expeditions into the Arctic Ocean – on our own and through international collaboration.

The GoNorth consortium has proposed a wide-ranging and cross-disciplinary program to acquire new and essential knowledge about the oceanic areas, from the sea floor and subsea geology, through the water column, to the surface sea ice. Education will be an important part of the program.

It is the goal of the program to be scientifically excellent, economically feasible and useful for the future management of the Arctic Ocean. The program shall bring Norway to the forefront as a responsible manager of the environment and the natural resources.

GoNorth adopts a stepwise approach, starting in the coastal areas north of Svalbard, before gradually moving northward, towards the oceanic spreading ridge, the Gakkel Ridge. These are the areas covered by the extended Norwegian continental shelf, which got the support of the United Nations' Continental Shelf Commission in 2009.

Collaborative cruises with international partners are vital, for scientific, logistical and financial reasons. Ice breakers will be necessary in the northernmost areas. We are already in dialogue with several international partners who share our ambitions and goals in the Arctic Ocean.