Last month, AECO and AECO member PolarQuest participated in the kick-off meeting of the ARCSAR project in Bodø. ARCSAR is a major Arctic collaboration project initiated and led by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center North-Norway. AECO is one of 21 international partners that will work across sectors to strengthen cooperation and innovation in security and emergency response in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. Having secured €3.5 million in EU funding, the ARCSAR project will run for five years and include a live exercise on a cruise vessel.
AECO’s main objectives with involvement in the ARCSAR project is to represent to views and concerns of the industry in all relevant matters, and to continue to develop networks and dialogues with various stakeholders involved in Arctic SAR issues. AECO’s Joint Arctic SAR workshop and TTX will during the five years project period be organized under the umbrella of ARCSAR.
AECO will also be one of the main organizers of a live exercise onboard a cruise vessel in the Arctic which is expected to take place in the spring of 2021. The vessel used in the exercise will be operated by PolarQuest.
Maritime preparedness is an important focus area for AECO. AECO has increased involvement and efforts related to search and rescue (SAR) in the Arctic.
