Ny-Ålesund, the world’s northernmost year-round research stationDiscover more about the history and present-day activities of Ny-Ålesund, a remote research base in NorwayBy Victoria HeathNestled in the west island of Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway, is a small community of scientists. Together, they inhabit Ny-Ålesund, the world’s northernmost year-round research station. In 2024 alone, the research base produced 112 peer-reviewed publications on a variety of topics. In 1964, the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) established a satellite station in the settlement – a moment that marked the start of Ny-Ålesund as an international research base. Image: ShutterstockAlthough Ny-Ålesund is particularly remote, the research base still has a hotel open for tourists to stay.