The Polar Data Forums have been a staple in the polar research data managemnet community in convenieng to discuss pressing data needs, issues, and developments. Below outlines outcomes from each Polar Data Forum and any plans for upcoming events.

All information about Polar Data Forums can be found on polar-data-forum.org.

Polar Data Forum VI

Hosted in Hobart, Australia - Ocober 20-25, 2025

Polar Data Forum VI (PDF VI) will be hosted by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AADC) from October 20th through 24th, 2025 and will be held at CSIRO Hobart at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. The forum follows International Data Week (IDW), which is to be held in Brisbane, Australia on the 13th to 16th of October, 2025.

The event kicks off with a day of side meetings for the Arctic Data Committee and the Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management, followed by two days of conference sessions and two days of hands-on workshops.
Key themes include Polar Modelling and Spatial Data, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, International Collaboration, Vocabularies and Semantic Interoperability, Data Storytelling, Community-Led Research and Indigenous Data Sovereignty, and Open Science.

Polar Data Forum V

Hosted in Cambridge, United Kingdom- Ocober 30-Nov 3, 2023

The 5th Polar Data Forum (PDF V), held from October 30 to November 3, 2023, at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, UK, brought together 157 participants from 32 countries to advance polar data management and interoperability. The event commenced with a two-day workshop focusing on polar vessel data systems, addressing challenges such as limited bandwidth during expeditions and the use of controlled vocabularies in content management systems. Subsequent conference sessions delved into themes like FAIR data principles, semantic interoperability, and the integration of Indigenous knowledge, culminating in the launch of the RoPON Observing Assets Registry pilot. Key outcomes included the initiation of shared metadata guidelines to enhance data quality and accessibility, with follow-up efforts planned through the Polar to Global (P2G) workshop series.

Polar Data Forum IV

Hosted alongside online alongside "Southern Ocean Decade" - September 21-24, 2021

PDF IV consisted of 3 days of hackathons and workshops, followed by 2 days of conference, all held on the Zoom platform. PDF IV was organized in conjunction with 2nd Southern Ocean Regional Workshop for the UN Ocean Decade by partners from Belgium and the Netherlands and international partners in polar data.

To read about outcomes of this even see: Polar Data Forum IV – An Ocean of Opportunities

Polar Data Forum III

Hosted in Helsinki, Finland - November 18-22, 2019

Following conversations at the Polar Data Planning Summit in Boulder, and the Polar Data and Systems and Architecture Workshop in Geneva in 2018, the Third Polar Data Forum (PDF III) was hosted by the Finnish Meteorological Institute at thair Dynamicum campus in Helsinki. PDF III was co-organized with regional partners including the INTAROS project in conjunction with the EU Arctic Cluster, the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, and other European organizations. The Forum was co-convened by the IASC-SAON Arctic Data Committee, Southern Ocean Observing System, Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management, the World Data System and other organizations engaged in polar data management.

PDF III was a two day conference style meeting in support of information exchange, with the remainder of the week using a “hackathon” approach that built on the development work done in Boulder, Geneva and other related meetings.

Polar Data Forum II

Hosted in Geneva, Switzerland - November 28-30, 2018

Moving forward, meeting participants agreed to continue working under an international, collaborative polar data community that will further develop both common data infrastructure and more domain or application-specific systems. Clearly, the polar data community is actively collaborating with activity accelerating based on foundations established during the International Polar Year (2007-09) and now realized through recent coordination activities and investments in polar data resources. The group recognized that ensuring continued progress will require a number of key behaviors and activities: continue frequent national and international community collaboration using the established, successful model; develop more substantial resources to support collaboration through a dedicated working group; expand the current broad collective vision, while implementing that vision in small increments, developed by focused clusters of partners; leverage existing, successful programs, and resources to expand collective capacity and inform design; cultivate a culture that explicitly allocates resources to enhance and expand the broader data system (infrastructure and more focused systems) at the proposal and design phase of funded projects and programs; ensure that all relevant actors are included in the design and implementation process, including Indigenous Peoples and their organizations in the Arctic, the Antarctic science community, and the broader global data community; consider establishing a formal consortium organization to coordinate implementation of a focused “Polar Data Project” (i.e. raise collaboration funds, facilitate sharing of code etc.). 

[Copied directly from the Summary Report: Polar Data and Systems Architecture Workshop]

Polar Data Forum I

The First Polar Data Forum (PDF I), held in October 2013 in Tokyo, Japan, was a pivotal event that brought together stakeholders from the Arctic and Antarctic data communities. Organized by the World Data System (WDS), the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), and CODATA, the forum aimed to address challenges in polar data management and promote collaborative solutions.

• Emphasis on Open Data Sharing: Recognizing the importance of open and connected data systems, the forum underscored the need for improved methods of data sharing to foster trust and acknowledgment among data producers and users.

• Development of Interoperable Systems: Participants highlighted the necessity for interoperable data systems that facilitate seamless access and integration of polar data across various platforms and disciplines.

• Establishment of Collaborative Networks: The forum served as a catalyst for building a cohesive polar data community, encouraging the formation of networks and partnerships to enhance data management practices.

• Foundation for Future Forums: PDF I set the stage for subsequent forums by identifying critical issues and laying out a roadmap for ongoing collaboration and improvement in polar data activities.

These outcomes laid the groundwork for continued efforts to enhance polar data management, leading to subsequent forums that built upon the initiatives and collaborations initiated at PDF I.